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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620270">We Must Be Brave</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatC7/pseuds/NatC7'>NatC7</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>We Must Be Brave [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Amity redemption, Amity's not good with feelings, Amity's parents are shit, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, From Amity but only in the beginning, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Bullying, Nerd/Bully AU, Romance in the sequel, Slow Burn, The road to forgiveness is a long one, and Luz is pretty dense, this one's about the friendship and forgiveness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:14:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>27,445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620270</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatC7/pseuds/NatC7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Luz could not figure out why Amity Blight seemed to hate her so much. At least she was pretty sure Amity hated her Little does she know it's the opposite. Amity tries to maintain her reputation as Hexside's Top Student, but her growing affection for nerdy Noceda is causing some problems. </p><p>In which Amity and Luz are in high school, Luz is a nerd and Amity is a top student who disguises her admiration for Luz as jealous hatred. </p><p>Very background EdaxCamilia and Boschlow if you squint. More info in A.N.</p><p>Title comes from She-Ra theme song.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Boscha/Willow Park, Eda Clawthorne/Camilia Noceda, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Pre-Relationship - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>We Must Be Brave [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938769</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>701</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! So this is my second Lumity fic as people seem to like my first. This one will be a bit longer than my first one, and no it is not finished but I will do my darndest to update and finish this fic. </p><p>The bullying is minor and won't really go on beyond chapter 2, but it is there so you know. Anyway I hope you enjoy this first chapter!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luz could not figure out why Amity Blight seemed to hate her so much. At least she was pretty sure Amity hated her. She would constantly one up Luz in class, and glare daggers at her every time they passed in the hallway. She had taken to sitting as far away from Amity and her friends as possible in the cafeteria because Luz could always feel the Blight boring deep holes into the back of her head. There were several times where Amity would corner her in the bathroom when Willow wasn’t around and interrogate Luz about her good grades, accusing her of cheating and thinking she was better than everyone else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz of course would always try to protest that she wasn’t cheating and she really did just study really hard. Amity usually left her alone after Luz showed her binder that was full of sticky notes and index cards along with her regular notes. She did understand why Amity might think she was cheating though, because during class Luz was usually finished with her work pretty quickly and spent a lot of time doodling in her sketchbook. But that was only because her mother made her study ahead every weekend so there was no chance of Luz falling behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Today, Amity seemed to be in one of her worse moods which meant Luz was having the worst luck. She had been sitting alone at an empty table in the cafeteria because Willow was on library duty that day. Amity and her friends had approached Luz while she was drawing in her sketchbook, and Amity ripped the sketchbook right from under Luz’s hands. Now Skara and Boscha were holding Luz back, keeping her from trying to get her sketchbook back. Amity was studying it meticulously, going over every page with a sour expression on her face .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amity, please! That is really important to me, give it back!” Luz begged, struggling to slip out of Boscha’s grip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up nerd-ceda, I want to see what’s apparently so much more interesting than schoolwork,” Amity growled, not even looking up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz whined in protest, worried that Amity would see her fanart and make fun of her. And of course, Amity turned the page to reveal a drawing of Azura and Hecate in an intimate embrace, lips locked in a show of love for each other. It wasn’t just Azura however, it was Luz dressed up as Azura and kissing Hecate. Amity scowled and Luz flinched as she tore the page out of the sketchbook. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shut the book and turned around, shoving the incriminating drawing in Luz’s face. “Are you a lesbo then?” Amity asked accusingly. </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Luz swallowed, knowing she couldn’t lie in the face of such evidence. She frowned and dared herself to look Amity right in the eye. “Actually, I’m bisexual!” Luz corrected her, trying not to tremble from fear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well there it was. Now Amity and her friends knew Luz’s secret. There were many ways they could use this information against Luz, and that terrified her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t tell anyone, por favor!” Luz pleaded with Amity. She wasn’t out to the whole school and she was definitely not ready to be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smirked, seeing she had the upper hand now. “I won’t, but you know…” She slid the drawing back into the book and nodded for Boscha and Skara to let Luz go. “You should be careful of who you tell, because not everyone is as nice as me.” Amity shoved the sketchbook back into Luz’s hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was trembling now that she didn’t have hands gripped around her arms. She nodded nervously and held the sketchbook tight to her chest. “Gr-gracías…” She managed to get out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity rolled her eyes at her, muttering “Pathetic” under her breath. Then to her friends she said, “Come on girls. We’re done here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skara followed and Boscha purposefully shoved her shoulder into Luz’s as she passed, grinning wickedly at the shorter girl. Luz waited until the trio was far enough away before carefully putting her sketchbook back into her backpack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Estuva circe, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz wasn’t entirely sure Amity would keep her word but she supposed she would find out tomorrow. She then decided she’d spend the rest of lunch in the library, since Willow would be nearby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully Amity didn’t do much except glare at Luz for the rest of the day. Luz allowed herself a sigh of relief as soon as she got off the bus after school. Then she hurried inside, shouting a quick hello to her mom before going to her room. Luz set her stuff aside and went to her laptop, switching it on and logging into Hexside’s student blogging website. Luckily she couldn’t see any posts by Amity Blight about her sexuality, so Luz was safe for now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned as she heard her mom’s footsteps entering the room. Camilia Noceda cast a suspicious glance towards the laptop screen and then frowned disapprovingly at Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Social media does not come before homework, young lady!” Camilia scolded her daughter. “Necesito que obtengas buenas calificaciones para que puedas tener una buena educación. ¡Y eso significa que estudiar debe ser lo primero!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed in resignation. “Lo sé, lo sé. Lo siento, mamá.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia softened and went to her daughter’s side. “How was your day, cariño mio?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wrapped her arms around Luz in a hug and Luz leaned into her mother’s touch. “It was alright. Just another long day. Don’t worry, I’m going to do my homework.” She looked up at her mom and asked, “So any progress with Eda?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was Camilia’s girlfriend of a few years and any day now Luz was expecting her mother to propose. It had been long enough and Luz really liked Eda and wanted her to be a part of their family. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia knew her daughter was only trying to stall homework. “Not yet, nice try though. You still have to do your homework. Empanadas for dinner?” She asked as Luz groaned and pulled away to go sit at her desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Suena perfecto, ¡no puedo esperar!” Luz replied over her shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I’ll call you when it’s ready. If you can get your homework done before dinner we’ll take you out for ice cream,” said Camilia with a knowing smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes widened at the sound of that and she said, “I promise I will, mamí.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sat in her room with her two best friends, Skara and Boscha. The three of them were spread out on Amity’s bed, chatting about the day’s events. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you see Noceda? She was so scared!” Boscha was saying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skara nodded and smirked at Amity. “I bet you’re glad to hear your little nerd is actually a little gay nerd, Amity,” she said slyly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bisexual, she’s bisexual,” Amity corrected Skara with a glare. “And shut up! We’re lucky my parents aren’t home right now, but you know they hate that kinda stuff. It’s best to keep quiet about it while we’re here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah, whatever Blight,” Boscha teased, sticking her tongue out at Amity. “So what are you going to do now that you know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity winced, knowing that was going to be the next question out of their mouths. Both of them were looking at her expectantly, but no judgement in their eyes. Having known them since they were in preschool, Amity had entrusted them with knowing she was a lesbian. At this point, they were the only ones who knew. Not even her siblings knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know yet, to be honest,” Amity said with a sigh. “Ugh! She’s so annoying, making me feel things like that!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity groaned in frustration, grabbing at her hair and tugging at it hard. Too hard, because she let out a yelp and let go of her hair immediately, regretting her decision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skara rolled her eyes at Amity. “Chill, Ams. It’s really not that big of a deal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha agreed with Skara, still looking at Amity. “It’s not like you can really do anything about it. It’s like you told Noceda, not everyone is as nice as us. So trying to ask her out is definitely out of the question.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity let out a pained sigh. “Is it really, though? I mean, maybe it’s worth the risk. Maybe I can make it look like I’m just using Luz to improve my image, and no one will suspect anything! But that would also hurt her. Right?” She looked at her friends desperately, hoping for answers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well whatever you do, we got your back,” said Skara with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have the entire school under control, no one would dare question you if you started hanging out more with Luz,” said Boscha. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And who knows, maybe it’ll work out and people might not really care!” Skara was ever the optimist, and on most days that annoyed Amity, but today she appreciated the girl’s optimism. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Skara, Bosch. I don’t know. I need some time to figure this out.” She sighed and let herself fall back on her bed, staring forlornly at her ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ok well I don’t really wanna watch you brood over this for the rest of the night, so how about some movies and popcorn?” Boscha suggested. She hated it when Amity got into these moods because it only led to her friend getting lost in her own head. Boscha and Skara had made it their job to keep Amity from stressing herself out, because while on the outside their friendship might seem superficial, it was definitely real. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we watch Killing Eve, instead?” Amity asked, wanting something that would occupy her mind longer than an hour or so. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” said Skara.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll grab the popcorn,” said Boscha with a grin. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amity realizes a few things.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi guys! I know I know im posting again on the same day. I just really like this chapter. Actual bullying might continue for one more chapter, but that's it. Unless you count manipulation. The manipulation will last a little while longer. Other than that I hope you enjoy this one! I'm doing my best with Spanish translations so all help is very much appreciated. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luz hesitated as she stood on the school grounds, having just gotten off the bus. There had still been no posts from Amity on Hexside’s blog, but that didn’t mean people wouldn’t know. Amity had all the teachers wrapped around her fingers, being the top student and all. Students listened to her and feared her, as did Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed and started walking into the school. She pulled her cat hoodie up over her head, not wanting to risk looking at anyone. She kept her head down as she went to her locker and got her stuff. A nudge in her arm made her jump and she whirled around only to see Willow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Willow! Hey, how’s it going?” Luz asked, trying to look calm in front of Willow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re wearing your hoodie up,” Willow stated matter-of-factly. “What’s wrong? Did Amity say something to you again?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz glanced around nervously and was relieved to see Amity nowhere in sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She knows, Willow. She saw one of my drawings and...I’m leaving my sketchbook at home now. I’m not risking that again,” Luz whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow’s mouth formed an o and she brought a hand up to her face. “Oh no, that’s awful Luz!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and then added, “I don’t think she’s told anyone yet, at least.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow gave Luz a tight hug, and Luz hugged the shorter girl back. “I just have to hope for the best, right?” Luz was trying to be optimistic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep, chin up! Maybe there’s a chance she’s forgotten about it,” Willow offered helpfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe…” Luz’s eyes were downcast and she scuffed her foot with the other. “I’m gonna head to class. Wish me luck.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck Luz,” Willow obliged. She smiled warmly at Luz and waved as the other girl shut her locker and headed to her English class. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Puedo hacer esto</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Luz told herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a seat in her usual spot near the front and took out her homework first so the teacher would see that she'd done it. She might not be able to risk bringing her sketchbook to school anymore, but she could still bring a book. This time she was reading the fourth book in the Good Witch Azura series. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had two minutes of peace before students started pouring into the room. She hazarded a glance to see if anyone was staring. Then Amity Blight entered the room, and Luz pulled her hood lower over her face. Unfortunately the teacher was just entering too and he scowled at Luz upon seeing her hood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hoodies down, please,” said Mr. Rath as if addressing the entire class, but Luz knew he was referring to her. She pulled down her hood and tried to focus on her book, but then Amity slid into the desk in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey nerd, whatcha reading,” said Amity with a fake smile on her face, malicious intent glistening in  her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A book,” Luz replied simply, hoping small answers would get Amity to leave her alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No shit, nerd-ceda. Lemme see that!” Before Luz could react the book was taken out of her hands and Amity closed the book, losing Luz’s spot and just opening up the front cover. “Uh huh. Alright.” And that was it. Amity handed Luz the book back without another word and turned to face the teacher. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was confused. What was Amity trying to play at? She stared at the green haired head in front of her, trying to figure out what Amity’s plan was. She couldn’t do much thinking though as the teacher soon started his lecture. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After class, Amity waited for most of the students to clear out before turning to Luz, who still had her nose deep in her book. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>What a nerd</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Amity thought. “Hey, Noceda.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Luz tried to ignore her, pointedly staring at the sentence she was currently reading. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noceda!” Amity huffed and put a hand on top of the book, pushing it down so she could see Luz’s face. “I want that book when you’re done with it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Well that was a first. Amity had never asked for one of Luz’s things before. Still, she was being rude about it. “Try saying please first,” Luz said flatly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” Amity’s voice went up an octave. “You do not tell me what to do, nerd!” Amity leaned forward, her face so close to Luz’s that she could feel her breath. “You will give me that book when you are done, do you understand me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz remained silent, but gave Amity a small nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speak when I’m talking to you!” Amity snapped, making Luz flinch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give you the book!” Luz cried out, not wanting to push the girl’s buttons anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity had a satisfied, smug look on her face. “Thank you. See you at lunch.” Then she turned on her heel and strutted out of the classroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz felt the tension leave as soon as Amity left the room, and her shoulders sagged in relief. Amity seemed to be stepping up her game now. Luz would have to be more wary. She stuck her bookmark back into her book and got up, knowing the bell would ring again in a few minutes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lunchtime came and thankfully Willow was there to join her at the table. Luz told Willow about what had happened in English class and Willow gave her a look of sympathy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least she’s letting you finish reading first?” Willow tried to lighten the situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess. I don’t know how long she’ll wait though, so I’ll have to read fast,” Luz said. “I better keep reading.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow tried to assure her friend, “It’ll be okay, Luz. Don’t worry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you say so…” Luz mumbled. She opened up to where she had left off in English class and continued reading. She managed to finish the entire book by ignoring all of her classes for the rest of the afternoon, with the teachers' trust that she was fully caught up on her school work. She had a good rep with them after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>After the final bell rang for release, Luz started looking for Amity. She had no idea where the girl would be since they didn’t share a last class that day, but Luz finally found her at the bus parking lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A-Amity?” Luz approached the girl nervously. “I-I’m finished with the b-book…” She held out the book, extending her hand as far as she could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity swiped the book out of her hand and said, “Don’t stutter so much. It’s annoying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Luz said, managing not to stutter that time. “Um...are you going to give it back when you’re done?” Luz hoped she would, as she liked having a full collection of Azura books at home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity just smirked at her and shrugged. “I’ll think about it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well that didn’t sound good. Then Luz heard her bus honk a warning that it would be departing soon. She gave Amity a quick bye before hurrying to catch her bus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity watched the girl board her bus and sighed. Luz was definitely terrified of her. That might be a problem if she wanted to spend more time with the nerd. She thought back to the day’s events and realized she may have been a little too intimidating. Amity would have to tone it down, like a lot. She looked at the book she had gotten from the nerd and a second thought occurred to her. If she really wanted to spend time with Luz, she’d probably have to return the book too. Amity groaned to herself, grumbling about feelings and how dumb they were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yo, Blight!” came Boscha’s voice from behind her. “We’ve been looking for you. Are you coming to the mall with us or what?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity looked to see Skara and Boscha looking at her with impatient expressions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry!” she apologized to them, sliding the book into her bag. “Let’s go!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha cocked a brow and asked, “Whatcha got there, Blight?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...A book,” Amity said, inadvertently repeating the same words Luz had said to her earlier that day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha snorted while Skara snickered and shook her head. “Whatever, let’s get going. We’re gonna be late.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity followed her friends, pushing thoughts of Luz Noceda to the back of her mind. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translations:</p><p>puedo hacer esto- I can do this.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Progress is made, but Luz is still pretty suspicious of Amity.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 3! I also now have the super amazing GirgeZR helping me with Spanish translations now!  I hope y'all like this chapter, next update should come either today or tomorrow! Thanks for reading and remember I love comments :3.</p><p>Note, Luz and Amity are 17 in this fic so Amity can drive.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luz brought a different book to school the next day, which was book 2 in the Azura series. She figured if Amity wanted book 4, that meant she had already read the previous books and wouldn’t ask to take them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That turned out to be correct, but Luz noticed something was a bit different about Amity today. The girl was a lot more subdued. After second period, Luz made a visit to her locker and was surprised to see Amity waiting there. She slowed down in her step and approached with caution. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh...hey Amity, what’s up?” She asked cautiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity told herself that this was to earn Luz’s trust. So she stepped to the side to let Luz access her locker. Luz eyed her warily before going to her locker and opening it up. Then something fell out and Luz only barely managed to catch it. It was a brand new colored pencil set, and that definitely hadn’t been there before. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Immediately her gaze went to Amity, had the girl managed to get into her locker? Why would she just give her a new pencil set? Maybe it was a mistake?</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Did you put this in here?” Luz asked Amity, holding the pencil set out to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Obviously,” said Amity a bit too harshly. Then she sighed and said, “It’s a present. For you. To make up for taking your sketchbook the other day.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh..” Luz looked at the pencil set more closely and saw that Amity had scrawled a note on there saying “Hope this is okay, nerd. Honestly? That was kind of sweet. Luz knew she couldn’t just be rude, as strange as it was for Amity to do something like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gracias, Amity,” Luz said finally. Then the bell rang as a last minute warning for students to get to class. So Luz shut her locker back and offered Amity a brief, grateful smile. Then she hurried off to her class.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity glanced at the locker and noticed Luz had forgotten to take anything else out of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What an idiot</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought. Then she headed off to her own class. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At lunch, Luz saw that Amity was reading the Azura book she had taken from her the day before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh, I guess she really does like Azura,” Luz said to Willow who was sitting next to her digging into a tupperware bowl of soup. “She gave me a new pencil set earlier today.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow’s mouth fell open in shock and she said, “Really? That’s...nice of her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed, knowing it was pretty nice. But she was certain Amity had to be up to something. “There’s probably an ulterior motive for it. Wait let me see if it even is a pencil set!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She took it out of her backpack and opened up the box. Sure enough, there were definitely colored pencils in there. Just to be sure, Luz pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled on it with one of the pencils. That was definitely a real colored pencil then. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh...no tricks,” Luz murmured. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Willow pointed at the set and said, “It’s one of those really nice ones too! Maybe Amity’s actually trying to be nice for a change?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure, and Adora is actually straight and wants to date Bow,” said Luz sarcastically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow giggled at that and shook her head at Luz. “Who knows what’s going on in Amity’s head, but at least you got a new pencil set!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right,” said Luz before they eventually moved onto talking about their favorite anime, Revolutionary Girl Utena. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After school, Amity found her before Luz could catch the bus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey nerd-ceda, hold up!” Amity barked at her when she was about to board. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz took a deep breath and exhaled before turning to face Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” She asked, trying not to show any fear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Skip the bus today. Send a text to your mom or whatever. I want to hang out,” said Amity in an authoritative tone. Then she seemed to reconsider her words and sighed. “Uh, if you want to that is.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz balked at her. Now Amity was giving her options? Luz looked over her shoulder in time to hear the final warning horn of the bus. She winced, taking a step back towards the bus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a lot of homework to do, I’m sorry!” Luz apologized. She was afraid of what Amity was planning. Sure Amity had done something nice for her today, but there had to be a reason for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity started to panic internally. She was losing her. “Wait, I just want to talk about the book!” she explained quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then she saw the bus doors starting to close and noticed Luz’s backpack was about to get caught in them. She quickly reached forward and grabbed the girl’s arm, yanking her away from the doors before they shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Watch what you’re doing, idiot!” Amity snapped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz ignored her though as she turned around to call out to her bus as it drove off. The bus continued on its way, leaving Luz stranded with Amity. She sighed and pulled her backpack straps tighter around her body. Defeated, Luz slowly turned towards Amity and gave her a hard look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mom will have to come pick me up then. Thanks for that, Blight,” she said, sounding very annoyed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity actually winced this time, surprising Luz. She figured she would have to apologize if she wanted to earn an ounce of trust with this girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m..I’m sorry okay,” Amity forced out. “I really do want to talk about the book though. It’s uh, it’s actually pretty good!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz studied Amity’s face, eyes narrowed; There was no sign of deceit on Amity’s face, and her words actually sounded genuine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Luz folded her arms in front of her chest. “What do you like about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh shit, she’s testing me! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought. Well luckily for Luz, Amity actually had started reading the book. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really like the plot. Things are starting to come together and they’re finally getting to the source of the magic loss in Bonesborough,” said Amity. “And Hecate’s redemption arc has finally started.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you really are reading it,” said Luz in a cold, calculating tone that Amity hadn’t expected to hear from her. Man, and Amity thought she was getting somewhere. Luz must really hate her; Amity kicked herself internally, she did deserve it after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I am,” Amity said, trying to hold on to her quickly waning confidence. Then a new idea hit her and she added, “I even have some theories on how the rest of the series will play out. Do you want to hear them? Maybe...over coffee, or something? Do you even drink coffee? Whatever, we’ll find out right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed and looked towards the empty bus lane behind her. Then she said, “Guess so. I don’t really have a choice, do I?” She looked at Amity pointedly, and Amity knew that was her fault too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sigo sin confiar en ella. Espero que lo sepa. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Luz then pulled out her phone. She sent a text to her mom saying she was doing something with a friend and that she would be home around 6. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to be back home by six, okay?” Luz told Amity. “Otherwise my mom will think I’ve been kidnapped.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded, “That’s plenty of time. Uh, follow me to my car?” She bit her lip before asking, “Please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was taken aback by the softer tone Amity was speaking in, but that only made her all the more wary. She gave a brief nod before following Amity as requested. They got to her car which was, of course, a black Mercedes Benz. Luz had to refrain from rolling her eyes at Amity’s obvious show of “Hey look I have money!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ella cree que es tan rica y genial. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity went to the passenger side first and opened the door for Luz, waiting patiently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz wasn’t about to be rude in response so she gave Amity a “Gracias” and got into the seat, putting on her seatbelt. Amity shut her door and went to the driver’s side, getting in and starting the car up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to a cafe called the Owl House Cafe, is that okay?” Amity asked, wanting Luz to feel safe.  She knew the girl probably didn’t thanks to how Amity treated her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes widened and she said, “My mom’s girlfriend owns that place! You like it there?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity quirked a brow at the girl, interested in this piece of information. “She does? It’s my favorite cafe in the whole city!” Amity explained. Briefly she forgot that she was talking to a girl who was afraid of her and continued, “I love her Latte art. They’re really good at it!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once again Luz was taken about by the girl’s casualness and stared at Amity for a long moment, reminding Amity of who they actually were. For a moment, Luz thought this was sort of like a redemption arc for Amity like Hecate’s in her favorite book series; Luz quickly corrected herself, knowing it was dangerous to make comparisons like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity started driving and there was an awkward silence most of the way there. Luz allowed herself to relax, since she knew Eda would be working at the moment and the woman would have her back if Amity tried anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually they arrived and Luz let herself out of the car, wanting to be in the safety of Eda’s coffee shop as soon as she could. Amity noticed Luz’s nerves but decided not to say anything. She did want to earn the girl’s trust after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two headed inside and Amity directed Luz to a table by the window. It was also well in sight of the front counter, and Luz looked over to see if Eda was around. Then she saw the woman come out of a door into the cashier area and grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s Eda!” Luz said to Amity. Without another word she went up to the registers and Eda beamed when she saw her. </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well hey kiddo, what are you doing here? You didn’t catch the bus?” Then Eda’s smile dropped and she said, “Did something happen? Have you talked to your mom?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Luz looked over her shoulder at Amity who was standing awkwardly by their table. “That girl over there wanted to hang out. She’s uh...she’s not the nicest person but she wanted to talk to me about the Azura books.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting…” Eda studied Amity carefully for a moment, taking note of how nervous the girl looked. “Well she seems pretty okay right now. Not giving me any mean vibes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head and said, “You haven’t seen her at school, Eda. She always thinks I’m cheating on my schoolwork or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so it’s like a rivalry eh?” Eda grinned, thinking of her own sister. “I had a rivalry like that with my sister, still kinda do.” Then in a more serious tone she said, “Still, looks like you might be making a new friend.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t trust her, Eda. I’m pretty sure she’s planning something!” Luz insisted. “You know, today she gave me a brand new coloring pencil set! But she put it in my locker, which means she knows my locker combination. That’s pretty suspicious, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at Luz for a moment before saying, “Maybe...or maybe she was just actually doing something nice for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Es hoy el día de al revés? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz wondered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe...Anyway I should probably ask Amity what she wants to drink,” Luz said after a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want a caramel mocha, please,” said Amity who had come up behind Luz to see what the hold up was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s on me, kids. But just this once,” said Eda with a wink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-what? I can pay!” Amity protested, but Eda just shook her head. “I see a beautiful friendship forming here. That shouldn’t cost you anything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Amity and Luz found themselves blushing and they both turned their heads away from each other. Eda just laughed in amusement and waved them off. “I’ll get your mocha, go sit down.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translations: </p><p>Sigo sin confiar en ella. Espero que lo sepa- I still don’t trust her. I hope she knows that. </p><p>Ella cree que es tan rica y genial- She thinks she’s so rich and cool. </p><p>Es hoy el día de al revés?- Is it opposite day?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amity struggles to mend her relationship with Luz, it doesn't go well.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We're heading into some pretty angsty territory now folks, this chapter and the next chapter or two will be full of Amity struggling to figure out her relationship with Luz. Meanwhile Luz is going to be guarded, because the road to forgiveness is a long one. </p><p>I've gotten a couple comments about how the bully/nerd trope can be tricky to write, and I just want to say that I'm doing the best I can to be realistic about this. I was bullied too so I know all too well what bullying feels like. I promise that Luz is definitely not going to forgive Amity easily, and they MIGHT become friends in three or four chapters. MIGHT! I did say this is a slow burn. </p><p>I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luz took a seat at the table, eyeing Amity as she sat across from her. Amity suddenly felt very small under the girl’s gaze and wondered if this was how she made Luz feel most of the time. She felt a slight twinge of guilt but pushed it down deep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While Luz seemed to think Amity had some sort of secret plan, Amity actually didn’t. She had some semblance of a plan, which was to earn Luz’s trust. But then what? She couldn’t exactly just ask her out because Amity knew she’d be rejected harshly. The strange feelings inside of her chest were there, but they fought with Amity’s desire to uphold her reputation as the perfect student and maintain her social status. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She struggled to think of what to say first, knowing that silence would only make Luz more suspicious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then Luz spoke first, “So tell me about these theories of yours.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her expression was unreadable, but Amity could tell Luz was waiting for her to do something awful. “Right, my theories...Well I think this book and the next one is going to focus a lot on Hecate’s redemption arc and them fixing the magic loss in the Boiling Isles…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The more Amity spoke, the more Luz realized she was being truthful about her interest in the books. Sure she could have been a lot nicer about wanting to borrow Luz’s book, but Amity seemed to want someone else to talk to about the Azura books. Luz wondered if Skara and Boscha were fans of it, but then she figured that if they were then Amity wouldn’t be sitting here talking to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So was that it then? Did Amity just want someone to talk to about The Good Witch Azura? But then why did Amity decide to pick Luz out of all people? Why not someone in the school’s book club as she knew of a few others who liked the series that were more popular than her. Then Luz started to think of another possibility, the possibility that Amity was only using her. That seemed more realistic. But using her for what? That, Luz didn’t know. </span>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Luz’s guard only heightened after this conclusion, but she continued to listen to Amity. There was a brief pause when Eda came over to give Amity her mocha, but also gave Luz a hot chocolate. Luz thanked Eda and sipped her hot chocolate while Amity continued to talk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annoyingly enough the girl actually had a lot of good points and Luz could see some of those theories being correct. Well maybe Amity was using her for something, but Luz would still continue to be the better person. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have some good points there,” Luz said when Amity finished. “I forgot how Hecate was part of the oracle track. That would definitely be super helpful in future books.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled, glad to see that Luz was at least being neutral rather than hostile with her. “Right! That’s what I’m saying. She’s read so many prophecies that she’s the one who knows what to expect if things start getting worse!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was that casual tone in Amity’s voice again. This time though, Luz was certain it was just an act. “So, is that all you wanted to talk to me about?” She asked, staring directly at Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s smile slipped a bit, seeing Luz’s caution wasn’t wavering. “Well, mostly, yes. I also kinda just wanted to talk to you. And uh, get to know you more?” Amity twiddled her fingers awkwardly, worried that Luz was going to say no. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was frowning at her. “And why would you want to do that? All you’ve ever done is harass me and accuse me of cheating. You obviously hate me. Now you want to...what? Be friends?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um...yes?” Amity replied, wincing at the scoff that came from Luz. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, trying to find the right words. “I know I keep accusing you of cheating, and well I guess I’m tired of that. You keep proving that you’re not and I guess you’re actually smarter than you look. You still act dumb most of the time though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz did not look impressed. “Great, so you’re gonna stop harassing me all of the sudden? I can trust you to do that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “You’re not gonna believe me if I say yes, are you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not,” said Luz coldly. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Amity sighed in resignation. “That’s fair. I just thought maybe if we talked about Azura, then we could, you know, become friends instead.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think talking to me about my favorite book series is going to make me forgive you?” Luz asked, dumbfounded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“N-no, not exactly. Just...make things a little bit better between us?” Amity offered weakly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand you at all, Amity. You can’t just treat me </span>
  <em>
    <span>como una mierda </span>
  </em>
  <span>and then turn around and try to make nice with me. That’s not how life works,” said Luz, voice thick with bitterness and hurt. “That’s called being a bully. You’re a bully, Amity.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m sorry…” Amity had nothing to stand on now. Every word Luz was saying was true, and she knew it. She really needed to rethink this plan on how to earn Luz’s trust, because it was not going well at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m done. I’m gonna go hang out in the back with Eda,” said Luz, getting up from her seat. “See you at school.” Then she took her drink and her backpack and skulked off to the back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had been watching the exchange but now had a worried look on her face. With a final glance at Amity, she followed Luz into the break room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ok kid, I clearly misread that situation. Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” Luz mumbled, taking a seat and pulling her knees up to her chest, resting her feet on the edge of the chair. She hugged her knees and looked up at Eda. “She apparently wants to be friends with me now, but I can’t just accept that after everything she’s done to me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded, understanding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Luz. You’re welcome to stay here until my shift is over. I’ll let Camilia know too,” Eda tried to comfort Luz, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Want a snack? My shift isn’t over until 7:30.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled gratefully and said, “A sandwich maybe, por favor?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got it. I’ll make your favorite,” said Eda, ruffling Luz’s hair before heading back out of the breakroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was about to head into the kitchen when she noticed that the other girl was still sitting at the table, looking troubled. An idea came to mind and Eda decided Luz could wait a few extra minutes. So she walked over to the table and sat down across from the girl, Amity Luz had called her. Amity looked up in surprise and her brows furrowed even more in worry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Relax, I’m not gonna yell at you,” Eda reassured her. “But I am a bit curious about you. I’m not sure what’s going on since I only heard part of the conversation, but I do know Luz doesn’t like you very much. Wanna tell me about that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed, pulling a leg up and hugging her knee close to her chest. “I’m...well you could say I’m a bully. But only because I still struggle to believe someone as dumb as Luz can continue to excel in school!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kid, there’s people of all kinds in this world,” said Eda. “Some people are gifted, and Luz is one of them. I’m not just saying that because she’s practically my daughter now, I’m saying that because she’s able to balance school and her interests a lot better than I ever could have.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity slumped in her seat a little, understanding what Eda was saying. “I guess you’re right. I just wanted to try to make things up with her. I even tried giving her a new pencil set!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She mentioned that,” Eda said thoughtfully. “But it’s not that easy, kid. If you’ve really been tormenting Luz the whole year like she said, it’s gonna take a lot of effort on your part to make it up to her. Nice gifts barely mean anything to her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Shame came over Amity and she was starting to see the extent of her bullying. Maybe earning Luz’s trust wasn’t the right thing to do. At least not yet, anyway. What Amity really owed her was an apology, but that would have to be through actions, not words. And not through giving her presents.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Eda’s voice pulled her back out of her head. “I can tell you’re a smart kid, you’ll figure it out,” Eda said gently. Then her voice took on a more serious tone, “But if I hear that you’re still bullying Luz, I’m going to have to ban you from this cafe. That’s the most I can do for her, anyway.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand,” Amity said in a very quiet voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, good talk, but I gotta get back to work,” said Eda, standing up. “Good luck kid. I hope you make the right choice.” She left Amity with that, walking into the kitchen like she had intended. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Amity headed home, she started thinking about what she really wanted. She knew she wanted to do something about these dumb feelings towards Luz. Amity hated the way warmth blossomed in her chest whenever she saw Luz wrapped up in her own little world while working on her school work or drawing or whatever it was that she was doing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Considering her high social status and her parents’ views on homosexuality, acting on those feelings was definitely out of the question. The next best thing to do, Amity thought, is to try to find something about Noceda that’s bad enough to quash my stupid feelings. Find some reason to hate her even more than I do right now. Yeah, that’s it. Her good grades aren’t enough, there must be something else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A cruel voice in the back of her head suggested that Amity out her to the whole school. But how could she do that when she herself was a lesbian? It wouldn’t really be right. Wait, what was that. Since when did Amity care about doing the right thing? She snarled at herself in frustration, speeding up a little as she turned on the road towards her parents’ manor. Why did this have to be so complicated?!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She parked the car once in the driveway, and remained inside, still deep in thought. Could she really risk just trying to make a genuine friendship with Luz, and let those feelings grow? Then she asked herself, is Luz really worth that risk? Amity finally concluded that she needed to get to know Luz more before she made any final decisions. Unfortunately, that did mean being friends with the girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’d have to be brave. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translation: </p><p>Como una mierda- A piece of shit</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amity gets a thank you.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 5. A little progress has been made since I can't take the animosity between these two for much longer. Chapter 7 will probably be the friendship mark as I'm too weak to keep going. If anyone thinks that's unrealistic please let me know. </p><p>I hope you enjoyed!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After hearing what had happened the day before, Willow did her best to stay by Luz’s side for the rest of the week. She would come check on Luz between classes and Luz would spend lunch in the library if Willow was on library duty. Willow would wait for Luz on the school grounds at the bus parking lot and wait with her at the end of the day until she could board her bus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This proved to be incredibly annoying for Amity. How was she supposed to talk to Luz when that friend of hers was constantly staring daggers at her every time she came near? Was she really that bad? The following week, on Monday, Amity sent Boscha to distract Willow during lunch. Finally, Amity had a chance to corner Luz in the library. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl was actually working on schoolwork this time, and she seemed really focused so Amity thought Luz wouldn’t notice when she came over to the table and set her bag down. However as soon as Amity sat down, she took Luz take a sharp breath. The girl started gathering her things and Amity thought fast. She grabbed her wrist, stopping Luz from doing anything else, but wasn’t expecting the incredibly soft skin under her touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blushing, Amity pulled her hand back and said, “W-wait. Please, I just want to talk to you,” Amity pleaded with Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz eyed her suspiciously and folded her arms in front of her chest. “You know, last week you told me my stuttering was annoying. Now you’re the one doing an awful lot of stuttering lately.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That only made Amity’s face turn an even deeper shade of red. “Shut up nerd! Can you just listen, please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t say a word, but remained standing and staring back at Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to apologize, officially, for being a bitch to you for the past year,” Amity started. “I know words don’t mean a lot to you, but I just wanted a chance to say it. I’m sorry for thinking you’re always cheating and I’m sorry for yelling at you and taking your things. Speaking of…” Amity reached into her bag and pulled out the fourth Azura book she had taken from Luz. She also took out another book, this one being the newly released book five. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here,” said Amity, handing both books to Luz, who took them warily. “I haven’t read the new book yet, but I figured you might want to read it first. So. I understand if you don’t accept my apology, but I’m doing my best.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz frowned, looking down at the books. “You say you’re apologizing, but you’re also trying to make it up by giving me even more gifts. One of which is actually one of MY things,” Luz pointed out. “I don’t want your charity, Amity. I just want you to stop bullying me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I have, haven’t I? I haven’t done anything for the past week!” Amity protested. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only because Willow’s stuck to me like glue,” Luz refuted her statement once again. She handed the fifth Azura book back to Amity. “Keep that, it’s yours. Not mine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s hands were shaking. She couldn’t understand why her gifts weren’t doing anything. She thought actions were louder than words, but didn’t giving gifts match the criteria of actions? She gripped the fifth Azura book tightly to keep her hands from trembling anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz finally took pity on Amity and said, “I do appreciate you trying though. That is something, at the very least.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s heart leapt forward at those words, and she looked up hopefully at Luz. The nerdy girl rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t get too excited. It’s still not the best thing you can do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s growing smile faltered and she bit her lip. “Right...okay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stood there awkwardly, not sure of what else to say. Luz on the other hand was eager to leave. She finished gathering her stuff and slung her backpack over her shoulder. Luz gave Amity a curt nod before walking off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity swallowed. What was she not getting right? She decided she needed to talk to one of her best friends. Amity looked around the library until she finally found Boscha leaning over Willow, the smaller girl cowering in the corner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boscha, I need to talk to you,” Amity said, drawing her friend’s attention away from Willow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha groaned in mild annoyance, but Amity was definitely more important. She winked at Willow before turning and walking over to Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?” Boscha asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity glanced over at Willow then back to Boscha and said, “I need help. Luz still won’t forgive me. I’ve tried giving her gifts, I even said I was sorry! I gave her the Azura book back too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow’s ears perked up at the sound of this and she approached the two girls to cut into the conversation. “Luz doesn’t become friends with people over gifts,” she chimed in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha rolled her eyes and said, “No one asked you. Go away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Amity stopped her friend. “Willow, listen, I’m really trying to mend things over with Luz. Please, what do I do?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow studied Amity for a moment, and the taller girl shifted uncomfortably under her scrutinization. Then finally she said, “If you really want to show her you’ve changed, then be a better person. Stop trying to act like you’re better than her and treat her like an equal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity frowned, not liking the sound of that. “But that’ll ruin my social reputation!” she argued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow’s eyes hardened and said, “If that’s all you care about, then don’t even bother trying to talk to Luz. She won’t want to spend time with fake friends like you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity tried to argue a different angle, “Well how am I supposed to prove it to her when you’re always warding me off?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Willow bit the inside of her cheek. Amity actually had her there. “Fine. I’ll stop hovering so much. But if you hurt her, you can kiss any chance you might have had goodbye. Understand?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh, she actually has more bite than I thought she did,” Boscha commented, looking impressed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity ignored her friend and kept her gaze trained on Willow. “I understand...thank you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let me be wrong about you,” said Willow. “Now I gotta get back to Library Duty. See you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity stepped to the side so Willow could walk by her as they were all standing in a corner of the library. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity waited until she was out of earshot before saying to Boscha, “I thought for sure she was going to bite my head off!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Man, both her and Luz are both pretty cute when they get mad,” Boscha said with a laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Something ugly flared in Amity's stomach and she whirled around towards her best friend. “Shut up, Boscha. This is worse than I thought it would be, so please try to take it seriously." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, sorry. So what are you gonna do?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh...I don’t know,” Amity grumbled. “Bide my time I guess? See if anything changes in the next week? Let me get back to you on that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha nodded in understanding. “Alright. Lemme know if you need any help.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity beamed at her friend, glad that there was still someone who was on good terms with her. “I will, for sure.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily, Willow was true to her word. She did back off, and Amity did too. She left Luz alone for the most part, this time trying to offer her friendly smiles in the hallway and in class. On wednesday when Willow was on library duty, Amity decided to try sitting at Luz’s table at lunch time. Unfortunately for Amity, Luz would pick up her lunch and backpack and move to another empty table. If Amity followed her to the next table, Luz would just leave the cafeteria all together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Amity was slowly starting to grow more and more annoyed at Luz. Couldn’t the girl see she was trying? One night, as Amity laid on her bed in her room, she did some brainstorming. There had to be a way to get Luz to open up to her a little bit. Then her opportunity finally came one afternoon when it turned out to be a half day at school, meaning school closed early for the day since the teachers and faculty had to have meetings and other stuff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity had a book she needed to return to the school library before she left, so she stopped by to check in the book. As she did so, she noticed Luz was still seated at a table. Her cat hoodie was pulled up over her head and she could see the girl was wearing headphones. Luz had a look of concentration on her face and her little tongue was sticking out as she worked on what was presumably schoolwork. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity checked in her book and went over to the table, waving a hand in Luz’s line of sight to get her attention. Luz looked up curiously, but the curiousness changed to annoyance when she saw it was Amity. She yanked out her headphones and glared at Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Can’t you see I’m busy?” Luz said in a very unfriendly tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but there was an announcement about school being done for the day about 15 minutes ago,” Amity explained. “It’s a half day today, remember?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes widened and she shot up from her seat. “Oh mierda, lo olvide completamente!” she exclaimed. Looking at Amity she asked, “Are the buses still here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head sadly. “No, they left a few minutes ago.” Then Amity realized she had an opportunity here and offered, “Do you need a ride?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned inwardly. Had Amity planned for this? No, of course not, there was no way Amity could have known she would be in the library. Still, it would be a lot easier than trying to ask one of her moms to leave work to come pick her up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Yes, if you don’t mind,” Luz said, lifting a hand to hold her other arm. “Please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not!” Amity said off handedly, offering another friendly smile to Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz packed her stuff up and followed Amity out of the library, keeping an eye on the green haired girl as they went. So after a week of silence, Amity was still trying to do nice things for her, huh? Maybe Amity was trying, but Luz wasn’t ready to trust her yet at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They reached the school parking lot and Luz got into Amity’s fancy Benz once she unlocked the car. Then Luz pulled out her phone and said, “I got 911 on speed dial in case you try anything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity tried not to wince that time and she said, “Luz, I promise I’m going to take you home. I need directions though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t really want Amity to know where she lived, so instead she asked, “Take me to the Owl House Cafe instead?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can do that!” said Amity a little too eagerly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz tried not to roll her eyes as Amity finally pulled out of the parking lot. True to her word, Amity took her to the Owl House Cafe. Luz quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car so fast as if it were on fire. Amity didn’t make any suspicious movements, however. Luz figured she did owe her a thank you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz turned and looked at Amity with a half smile as she said, “Thank you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s heart swelled up and she tried not to be disappointed when Luz shut the door and left her alone to go into the cafe. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<em>
    <span>Finally</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m getting somewhere. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luz makes a decision.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter six is here! I hope you guys don't think I'm moving too fast, but if I am please let me know. You may have also noticed some changes to the tags on this fic. I've decided that this fic will focus on Amity's redemption and her eventual friendship with Luz. Then I will write a sequel where we will get some actual Lumity romance. </p><p>Thank you guys for reading!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After Luz went into the cafe, she looked over her shoulder and through the glass door. Amity’s car was gone, meaning she hadn’t actually stuck around. Luz was relieved at that. She couldn’t understand why Amity was so insistent on trying to be her friend all of the sudden after tormenting her for her good grades all year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” she heard Eda’s voice calling her from the registers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walked over and Eda gave her  a broad smile as she approached. “Hey kiddo, I thought you were going home early?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sheepish grin spread across Luz’s face as she said, “I actually missed the buses. I was a little too focused on my work.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you walk all the way here then?” Eda asked, taking out her phone so she could send a text to Camilia. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz’s expression darkened and she shook her head. “Amity actually gave me a ride.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One sec, texting your mom,” said Eda before sending her text to Camilia. Then she pocketed her phone again and looked back at Luz. “I thought you two weren’t on good terms?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not,” Luz insisted. “But she seems to think that now she’s stopped bullying me, we can be friends all of the sudden.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda felt a small weight lift off her shoulders at the news that Luz wasn’t being bullied anymore. “Well I’m glad she’s stopped the bullying, kiddo. That’s the best I could ask for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t get why she just suddenly went from bullying me to buying me presents and apologizing,” Luz explained. “I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Amity to reveal the reason why she’s been pestering me so much. I just want her to leave me alone already!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed, moving around the counter and coming close to Luz’s side. “People do change, Luz,” she said seriously. “You said she’s always accusing you of cheating, but now it seems that she’s stopped? Maybe she doesn’t think you’re cheating on your schoolwork anymore.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why is she still trying to talk to me?” Luz demanded to know. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda put a reassuring arm around Luz’s shoulders. “It is possible she wants a new friend,” Eda suggested gently. “Especially one that’s as smart as her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz swallowed, and looked up at Eda with wide, worried eyes. “What if she’s just trying to use me, Eda? What then?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you tell her that you’ve had enough, and you don’t want anything more to do with her,” Eda replied simply. “But for now, why not try giving her a chance?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz frowned at Eda, not really understanding what the older woman was trying to say. “So I should just forgive her?”  </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“No,” Eda corrected her. “I’m saying that letting her have a chance at being your friend may also help her grow as a person. You are both still quite young. It’s possible you could learn from each other.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed and said, “Now you’re starting to sound like Hecate’s wise old uncle, except you’re a woman instead.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda had no clue who that was but she hoped that Luz at least understood what was getting at. Luz looked down at her hands which were resting on the counter. She thought for a few moments, thinking about how hopeful Amity looked every time they made eye contact in the past couple of weeks. Then she remembered how Amity still kept calling her things like dumb and stupid, and wondered just how much respect Amity had for her. If there was going to be any form of friendship between them, the insults would have to stop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Eda,” said Luz slowly. “I...have a lot to think about. But for now I just want to hang out with you and drink some hot chocolate.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good, and I can take you home on my break. I don’t want you to be stuck here all afternoon,” said Eda. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She went to make Luz’s hot chocolate and Luz took a seat at a table close to the counters. Rather than keep thinking about Amity, she decided to distract herself by reading The Good Witch Azura. When she finally did get home, she worked on homework before spending the rest of the day drawing in her sketchbook. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her conversation with Eda drifted in and out of her mind and it was the last thing Luz was thinking about as she drifted off to sleep that night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next two weeks were even busier as it was getting closer to the end of year exams. To Luz’s annoyance, Amity kept offering to review their notes together and study after school. Luz turned her down every time, but Amity was more stubborn than she thought. Finally one thursday, when Amity approached her at lunch, Luz had had enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, we can do one study session. But then will you please stop bothering me?” Luz asked, exasperation clear in her voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity wanted more than 1 study session with Luz, but she’d take what she could get. “Fine. Library’s still open after school. I could drive you home after?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz eyed her warily and said, “I’ll think about the driving part. But yeah, see you in the library.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time Luz wasn’t surprised to see Amity already waiting in the library when she walked in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tengo que admirar su determinación</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The study session was awkward and filled with tension. Despite that, it seemed to go well. In the end Luz and Amity quizzed each other using their notes and each girl was impressed by how the other knew the subject material. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz thought back to her conversation with Eda, about the idea that Amity might really just want a new friend. She could try risking a friendship with Amity. It didn’t look like Amity would stop trying anytime soon, so maybe it was just better to accept it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pequeños avances, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she told herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So um...did you want me to drive you home?” Amity asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was a bit worried of what Amity would think of her home if she did. But she still had to take a chance, if only to see if Amity really was being genuine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, if that’s alright with you,” Luz said finally. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled and gave her affirmation. The two of them packed up their notes and headed out of the library. When they eventually reached Amity’s car, Luz sent a text to her mom saying she was on her way and that someone was driving her back. She was careful not to say ‘friend’ as Luz wasn’t sure she was ready to call Amity that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity attempted to make small talk while Luz focused on giving her directions to her house. Finally they came to a small but cozy looking townhouse with a pastel color scheme. To Luz’s surprise, Camilia was out on the porch waiting for her to return.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity pulled over as close to the curb as she could and smiled at the woman approaching her car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Luz stepped out of the car and her mother asked, “Can you introduce me to your new friend? I would love to meet them!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz’s brows furrowed in concern but Amity was already getting out of the car. The green haired girl walked around and approached Camilia, holding out a hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello Ms. Noceda, I’m Amity Blight, Luz’s friend from school. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tan educada!” Camilia said to Luz before smiling warmly at Amity. “You as well! Please, you must come in for dinner. We have room at the table. I would love to get to know Luz’s new friend some more.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mom, no it’s okay really,” Luz began. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I insist! It’s only right after she drove you all the way home, young lady,” said Camilia sternly. Then to Amity she asked, “Please, will you stay for dinner?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity glanced at Luz and said, “Only if it’s alright with both of you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia cut off whatever Luz was going to say and said, “Absolutely! Now come on in, please. Make yourself at home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed at her mother who was now going back to the house, urging them to follow. She said to Amity, “Please, try to be nice okay? You’re only doing this because my mom insisted you do, and there’s no arguing with her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity flashed Luz a winning smile and said, “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You better be,” Luz mumbled under her breath before heading inside with Amity.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translations: </p><p>Tengo que admirar su determinación- I have to admire her dedication.</p><p>Pequeńos avances- Small steps. </p><p>Tan educada- So polite!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dinner at the Nocedas. Also character development.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WHAT DO WE WANT? </p><p>Lumity: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT</p><p>WHEN DO WE WANT IT?</p><p>Lumity: NOW!</p><p>Ahh character development, it's beautiful. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write. Luz and Amity sort of took over at the end there too. </p><p>Again comments are always appreciated! Thanks for reading &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Camilia called out to her girlfriend as they entered the house, “Eda! Luz brought a friend with her today! Make an extra patty for her, please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda poked her head out of the kitchen where she was busy making hamburgers for dinner. “Oh?” Then she spotted Luz and Amity and a devilish grin spread across her face that neither girl really liked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luz, I see you patched things over with your friend,” Eda said, smiling proudly at her daughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz glanced between Eda and Camilia and sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Supongo que voy a tener que ser su amiga después de todo</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Luz thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kinda, yeah,” said Luz, rubbing the back of her neck while glancing at Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl in question just smiled and asked Eda, “What are you making? It smells delicious in there!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hamburgers! A good old classic if you ask me,” said Eda with a wink. “They’ll be ready in about 15 minutes. Sorry for the wait.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh that’s fine!” Camilia told her girlfriend. “Luz can show Amity her room,” she said turning to Luz. “Be good for our houseguest, cariño mio.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Si, mamá,” Luz said obediently. Then to Amity she motioned for her to follow. “Come on, might as well let you into my lair.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was trying to be joking since she saw how nervous Amity really was. The girl’s hands were even shaking, and Luz realized Amity really was trying. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey, it’s fine,” Luz tried to assure her. “I’ll uh...let you look at more of my drawings, if you want?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled brightly, glad to see Luz was finally warming up to her. “Sure!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Amity followed Luz to her room, noticing some of the family portraits on the wall as they went down a short hallway. Luz opened her door and let Amity step inside first, glad that she had thought to clean a couple days ago. Amity took in the room around her, seeing posters of different anime characters on the walls. Her eye immediately went to a shelf full of small figurines that were surely anime characters as well, and she had to hold back a laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She’s such a nerd,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz went to her desk where her sketchbook sat opened up. She had stapled the page Amity had torn out to a blank page and it was the one currently showing as Amity walked over to stand beside her. Luz switched on her lamp, the glow illuminating both of their faces and the sketchbook before them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A twinge of guilt hurt Amity’s heart, but this time she didn’t push it away. “Sorry again, about that,” Amity murmured. “I really don’t plan on telling anyone. I promise.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was stunned by the remorse in Amity’s voice and looked at her, the light casting a partial shadow over her face. “I believe you at this point,” said Luz carefully. “It’s been long enough.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity offered a half smile and Luz returned it before pushing the sketchbook towards her. “You can look at them if you want,” Luz said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Puede que ella no sea tan mala,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought as Amity looked through more of the sketchbook. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity took the time to really admire Luz’s artwork. The girl was a lot more talented than Amity had realized. She recognized more drawings of Azura and Hecate, noticing the one she had torn out was the only one with Luz as Azura. After a few more minutes of looking, she stopped and turned to Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you haven’t brought your sketchbook to school because of me. I promise not to take it from you and um…” She turned back to the page with Luz’s self insert and Hecate. “This is actually really good!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz found herself blushing under the praise. “Uh, gracias,” she whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then they both heard Camilia calling them for dinner. Amity followed Luz out of the room and to the kitchen where Eda was currently putting the cooked patties on a big plate. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’ll help set the table,” Amity offered when she saw Camilia starting to put plates on the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“¡Eres tan dulce! You’re so sweet!” Camilia said to Amity, making the younger girl blush. “Cups are in that cabinet behind me, if you wouldn’t mind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity went and got glasses for everyone as instructed and Eda brought the plates over while Luz brought over buns and condiments. Everyone sat down, Amity taking a seat next to Luz while Eda and Camilia sat across from them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once burgers were constructed, Camilia started conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So Amity, how do you know my Luz?” she asked, and Amity realized she must not be aware of their past conflicts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, well we’re in a few classes together,” Amity started, worried about lying. If she lied Luz would surely go back to hating her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully Eda stepped in to rescue her from embarrassment. “Well from what I’ve heard, these two had a rough go at it at first, but they’re friends now by the looks of it!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shot Eda a grateful smile and Luz was glad they had managed to avoid that can of worms. Then she decided to give Amity some points since the green haired girl was so determined to make a good impression on her mother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amity’s one of the top students at school, mom,” Luz explained. “She’s very smart!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s face was turning red. Was everyone in this family so sweet to others? “I uh, I try my best,” Amity said modestly. “You should see her though, her binder is full of sticky notes and index cards,” Amity pointed at Luz.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you’re so much more organized than me!” Luz added, looking at Amity. She was surprised Amity was giving her so much credit for once instead of trying to prove herself to be better than Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give yourself some credit, Luz. You go into a lot more detail with your notes than I do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz froze. That was the first time Amity had ever actually used her name instead of referring to her as nerd or idiot. She quickly pulled herself together before her moms could notice and gave Amity a small smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Amity,” she said honestly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Camilia redirected their attention to her as she said, “I’m so glad Luz has a new friend now. I always worry about her getting lonely at school. I know she has Willow but I am her mother. I still worry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled at Camilia and said, “I’m happy to be Luz’s friend, Ms. Noceda.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia gave her daughter a proud look and the conversation moved onto how their day at school went as dinner went on. Eda was even prouder of Luz when she learned that they had done a study session after school that day and hoped Amity would continue to be a good friend to Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When dinner was over, Camilia insisted that Luz and Amity go continue having fun and that she and Eda would worry about the cleaning up. Amity tried to step in to help with washing dishes but she was quickly shooed out of the kitchen. Luz chuckled at the disappointed look on her face after Amity left the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, my mom likes to have control over the kitchen after meal times. She doesn’t even trust me to clean up,” Luz said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s really nice though!” Amity said. Then she hugged one arm with her other hand and said, “I’m surprised you hadn’t told her about...me being a bully.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz looked away, frowning a little. “I just don’t want her to worry about that. She worries about my grades enough already,” Luz clarified. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded, looking thoughtful. “Uh, thanks for letting me have dinner with you all,” Amity said. “I should probably go home. I might have forgotten to tell my parents I was going to be home late.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope you don’t get into too much trouble,” said Luz, feeling slightly worried for Amity. “Are they going to be mad?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shrugged and waved her off. “Don’t worry about it, it’s fine. I should thank your mom before I go.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity stuck her head back into the kitchen and caught Camilia’s attention. “Ms Noceda? I’m about to head home. Thank you so much for dinner, it was delicious!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia’s face broke into a smile and she said, “We certainly enjoyed your company! Please feel free to come over any time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed for the third time since she was at Luz’s house and nodded. “I’ll definitely consider it. Goodnight Ms Noceda.” She looked over to Eda who was wiping down the table. “And thank you for the hamburgers, Eda. Goodnight!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda gave Amity a warm smile and said, “Night kid. Glad you could make things up with Luz. Keep it up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will,” said Amity before she finally turned and headed to the front door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, see you at school then?” she said to Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At school, yeah. Good night!” Luz waved and watched until Amity was safely in her car and pulling out to go home. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <span>Creo que ahora puedo considerarla mi amiga, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz murmured to herself. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translations: </p><p>Supongo que voy a tener que ser su amiga después de todo- I guess I’m going to have to be friends with her after all. </p><p>Puede que ella no sea tan mala- Maybe she’s not so bad. </p><p>Creo que ahora puedo considerarla mi amiga- I think I can consider her my friend now.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amity shares a moment with her siblings.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well this was unexpected and unplanned but I like it and I'm proud of it. So in this chapter we still don't see the Blight parents, but we do finally meet the twins! </p><p>So consider everything you've read to this point as the 'Enemies' arc, because now we're going into the 'Friends' arc of the story. Remember how I mentioned Eda or Camilia were supposed to pop the Question at some point? Well that will happen in this arc, and as summer starts for our two girls, there will be a lot of growth. </p><p>If you've read since the beginning, thank you and I'm glad you're still here. If you just read all of this story today, I'm glad and (hope) that you're enjoying it! Now chapter 9 will mark the start of the Friendship Arc. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Amity managed to avoid punishment when she got home by saying that Boscha and Skara had convinced her to go to the mall with them and also catch a movie. Her siblings however caught on to her lie but didn’t say anything to their parents to protect her. But they still went to her room later that night for a bit of questioning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Mittens, open up!” Amity heard her sister’s voice from the other side of the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We just want to have a little chat,” came Edric’s voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slightly confused but mostly annoyed, she went to the door and opened it to reveal the Blight Twins. “What about?” Amity asked, eyeing them both suspiciously .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” said Edric, obviously lying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We just want to hear about your day,” Emira told Amity with a sweet smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity huffed and folded her arms across her chest. “It was good,” she said flatly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Emira and Edric slipped past her and walked all the way into her room. Both of them took a seat on her bed and Emira motioned for Amity to come sit between them. Amity knew there was no getting out of this so she shut the door behind her, prepared to tell them the truth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat down and hesitated for a moment, but remembered that her siblings were the second closest people she had after Boscha and Skara. They were the ones that protected her from their parents’ anger and Amity knew she could trust them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was with Luz,” Amity said in a soft voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luz? As in ‘nerd-ceda’ as you so lovingly call her?” Emira asked for clarification, a smile playing on her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t call her that!” Amity said hotly. “Her name is Luz. And...she’s not so bad. I had dinner with her parents.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Woah!” Edric’s eyes widened and he said, “Isn’t that supposed to happen after like, at least a few months of dating?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity growled in annoyance, “It’s not like that. I drove Luz home after we had a study session at school and her mom insisted that I come in and have dinner.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira’s ears perked with interest as she said, “You drove her home? So are you two friends now or something?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Amity twisted her hands together. “I hope so? I want to be. I’ve been trying to make up for treating her so badly, and I think tonight we actually got somewhere.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mittens that’s wonderful!” Emira exclaimed, hugging her little sister tightly. “I’m so glad that you’ve found a new friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Same here,” Edric agreed, smiling warmly at Amity. “You need more of those.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira chewed her lip in thought for a moment before asking, “So why couldn’t you just tell our parents that you went to a new friend’s house?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Amity wasn’t sure if she should disclose Luz’s home life to her siblings. But she also didn’t want her siblings blabbing to their parents about Luz. “She has two moms.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” said both Edric and Emira.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I getcha. Don’t worry then, we won’t say a word,” Emira assured her sister. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Mom and Dad would definitely not like you hanging out with someone like that. Which is such bullshit,” Edric muttered darkly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you guys,” Amity said, feeling relieved. She was quiet for a moment, an idea occurring to her. It seemed she could really trust the siblings, so maybe she could tell them her secret. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Emira. Edric?” Amity knotted her fingers together in nervousness. The twins heard this in Amity’s voice and looked at their little sister with concern. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up, Mittens?” Emira asked gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity took a deep breath and then exhaled. Then finally she said, “I’m a lesbian.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emira and Edric both looked touched that their sister had entrusted them with that knowledge. Emira squealed softly and hugged her sister again, but this time Amity didn’t try to resist. Edric beamed at her and ruffled her hair, which did earn him a glare from the younger Blight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so glad you told us,” said Edric. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so glad you trust us enough to tell us that,” Emira said honestly. “I promise we won’t tell anyone else.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed and then pulled Edric to join them in their hug, glad that her secret was safe with her siblings. The three of them stayed in that spot for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company. Then Edric pulled away, not one for prolonged periods of physical affection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Luz, is she just a friend to you then?” Edric asked, mischief in his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira smirked and listened intently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes she’s just a friend!” Amity told them both, annoyed with them. “God I thought we were having a moment. Why’d you have to go and ruin it?!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira and Edric laughed loudly and Amity’s face turned red in anger. “Okay I think you two can go now,” she said, getting up and going to the door. “Get out!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry Mittens!” Edric said, standing up. “I just wanted to ask.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira wasn’t done though. “So you definitely don’t like her more than a friend?” Emira prodded Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not talking about that!” Amity hissed at them. “Mom and dad are still home. I am not risking this conversation.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her siblings finally relented and Emira joined her brother at the door. “Alright, we’ll leave you alone. We’re proud of you though,” she said with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The twins finally left her room and Amity shut the door behind them, locking it and running to her bed, throwing herself face first into her pillow. Why did her siblings have to be so...annoying! She groaned in frustration and rolled over on her back, staring up at the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her thoughts drifted back to Luz, and how the nerdy girl made her feel. Her siblings were right about one thing: Amity definitely liked Luz more than a friend. Thing was though, at this stage in her relationship with Luz, they were nowhere near ready for something like that. Amity knew there was still a lot of trust issues between them and there was also the question of her willingly hanging out with Luz while at school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boscha had been right about no one saying anything when Amity started trying to spend more time with Luz. So clearly it wasn’t too bad, but what did that mean for the rest of the school? Did they think she really was trying to be friends with Luz, or did they think Luz was just another pawn in Amity’s game of popularity? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And what did Amity want them to think? That was an even bigger question. Something in her stomach told her that it really shouldn’t matter what others thought, but Amity was still young and figuring herself out. That included finding out what she wanted socially. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed, thinking feelings were way too complicated. Feelings were stupid. But...feelings were also powerful. Amity knew this because she felt them blossom in her chest every time she saw Luz at school. She folded her arms behind her head, going deeper into thought. She needed to figure out what her next steps with Luz would be. It would make sense to keep trying to be her friend, yes, but Amity’s feelings surely meant she wanted to be more than friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <span>No, not now,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she told herself. So Amity put those feelings in a box, locked it, and put it in a dark room in the back of her mind. For now, her goal would be to keep being friends with Luz Noceda. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luz finds out Amity's a dork.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ugh im so glad to be finally writing friendly interactions between these two! I hope you enjoy this chapter. There's not really much to say here, except thanks for reading and remember I love comments &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The week following that night, Amity was relieved to see Luz acting a lot less hostile towards her. On monday, Amity attempted sitting with Willow and Luz at lunch, surprising her friends. This time though Luz made no moves to change tables or to leave the cafeteria. Willow was surprised at this as well, but gave Amity an approving smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually Boscha and Skara joined them at the table and it became an odd little group for the remaining weeks of school. On the week before finals, Luz offered to study with Amity instead of the other way around, which made the green haired girl’s heart soar. Then as if to mark that milestone in their relationship, Amity and Luz exchanged numbers on the last day of school, agreeing to text each other over the summer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity did not wait by her phone the entire first day of summer, but she was a bit disappointed when Luz did not immediately text her. She tried to distract herself by going to the mall with Skara and Boscha. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Walking through the mall, Amity took notice of a small stand with books on display. To her surprise, Luz Noceda was there holding a book in her hands. Boscha and Skara both smirked at each other and Boscha gently nudged Amity forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go talk to her,” Boscha whispered. Skara gave her a thumbs up and Amity swallowed. Was that really okay? Luz hadn’t actively reached out to Amity that day so she wasn’t sure if she should cross that boundary and just approach her. They were still kind of figuring this friendship thing out and Amity wasn’t exactly sure how that worked. She didn’t think it would be the same as her friendships with Boscha and Skara. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skara gave Amity another push towards Luz and the taller girl shot her a glare. Then she swallowed and finally decided to try it. Amity casually approached the bookstand, trying to act like she hadn’t noticed Luz. She noticed a stack of the comic series for Azura and grabbed the one on the top. Luz temporarily forgotten, Amity looked at the cover, having not known that there was even a comic series to begin with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was just about to start reading through it when Luz’s voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. “Oh, hey Amity.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eep!” Amity’s face turned red and she clutched the book to her chest as she looked up to see Luz looking right at her. She tried to collect herself and smiled nervously at Luz. “H-hey Luz! Fancy meeting you here, eh?” She gingerly showed her the book in her hands. “Did you know there were Azura comics?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz wasn’t all that fooled. She had a feeling Amity had spotted her and wanted to approach her, however, she hadn’t expected Amity to get so wrapped up in the comic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they’re sort of side stories to the series. More so slice of life than adventure, but lots of good plot and character development,” Luz replied. “I have the first two volumes at home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait what?” Amity blinked. She needed to know more about this. “How long have the comics been going on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was a bit surprised to see Amity genuinely so curious about the comics, but she was happy to talk about them. “The first issue got released about a year after the first book came out,” Luz explained. “Each volume sorta takes place between books but sometimes overlaps with the main series.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded, taking in the information and she glanced at the number on the issue she was holding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So this one is issue 27?” she asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and Amity took another look at the stand and noticed that it was primarily comic issues and some assortment of volumes for various series. Then she looked at the book Luz had in her hand and noticed it was volume 3 of the Azura comic series. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How many volumes are there?” Amity asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Four so far,” Luz replied. “I’ve been looking for this special edition though because it has bonus artwork.” She opened up the book to the last few pages which were beautifully drawn portraits of each character in different art styles. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oooh! Is there another copy of that one?” Amity asked, looking to see if there was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz reached up to a rack of books and pulled one off. “Yep, here ya go,” she said, handing the volume over to Amity. “I would probably start reading the first two volumes first though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, that would make sense,” Amity mused aloud. “Thanks Luz!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled, and decided to tease Amity a bit. “You know, comics are generally pretty nerdy. Might you be turning into a nerd like me, Amity?” she asked with a small smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s cheeks flushed pink and she twitched, wanting to yell at Luz for making fun of her. “Sh-shut up!” Amity snapped, but instead of flinching Luz just started laughing. “Maybe I am a nerd then, but not as much of a nerd as you are!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz then turned more serious and said, “There’s nothing wrong with being a nerd, Amity.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed, knowing Luz was right. After all she was as big of an Azura fan as Luz was, but apparently not enough to have known there was a comic series. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Luz,” said Amity honestly. “I shouldn’t call you a nerd anymore, should I?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz shrugged and said, “I’m kinda proud to be a nerd. I just don’t like it when you use it as an insult against me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm,” Amity thought for a moment. “Can I call you a nerd, but in a friendly way then?” she asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh,” Luz hadn’t really expected that question. “I guess? Just try not to be so mean about it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity grinned and said, “Thanks nerd.” This time though there was no malice behind her words and Luz found herself returning the grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I might be a nerd, but you’re kind of a dork, Amity,” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A while ago Amity might have taken insult to that, but coming from Luz it was actually kinda nice. “Maybe I’m proud to be a dork then,” Amity said with a smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Luz laughed, and Amity started laughing with her. After they both calmed down, Amity looked over her shoulder at Skara and Boscha before looking back to Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to come hang out with me and Boscha and Skara?” Amity invited her. “We were gonna go shopping.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz finally noticed that the two girls were standing nearby, watching them with interest. “Oh, um... thanks but I was going to go see a movie with Willow in an hour,” Luz explained. “Thanks though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course she’s hanging out with Willow instead</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Amity thought, trying not to feel too bitter about that. “It’s fine! I just wanted to ask! Um, I guess I’ll text you later? I’m probably gonna go look for those first two volumes,” said Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz grinned and nodded. “Feel free to talk to me after you’ve read them. I’d love to talk to someone about the comics.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will! I’ll keep you updated,” said Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then she remembered she was still holding a copy of the special edition of volume 3. She went to the salesperson to pay for it before giving Luz a wave goodbye. Luz watched her go and smiled, glad to see there was a much friendlier side to Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz paid for her own copy and went to meet Willow. When she did, Luz told her about running into Amity at the mall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooh, I’m so glad you two are finally getting along!” Willow said when Luz was done. “I’m proud of you, Luz.” </span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“She really is a dork, but I’m glad I’m getting along with her too,” said Luz. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Plans are made</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hehe, enjoy! I'm excited.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Over the next few days, Luz started getting texts from Amity telling her about her progress on the comics. Amity would send her live reactions which made Luz laugh quite a bit and she would usually wait for Amity to finish the volume before responding. Eventually they decided they needed to meet up so on the tuesday after the first week of summer, Luz went with Eda to the Owl House Cafe to hang out until Amity arrived. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz doodled in her sketchbook at a table for most of the time, taking a break to drink some hot chocolate when Eda brought some over for her. Finally close to noon, Amity came into the cafe and waved at Luz when she looked up to see her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gonna grab something to drink first,” Amity explained before going to the registers. She ordered a frappuccino and then joined Luz at the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatcha drawing?” Amity asked, setting her bag down next to her chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Some fanart,” Luz replied, excited to show someone what she was working on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pushed the sketchbook across the table so Amity could take a look. It was a drawing of Azura jumping down a deep chasm after what looked like a glowing stone, judging by the shading and lines around the small object Azura was reaching for.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love the shading you’ve done,” Amity tried. “I’m not an artist but it looks really good!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and said, “Thanks, but it’s not quite done yet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded and pushed the sketchbook back towards Luz. “So I just finished the first two volumes of the Azura comic series,” she said. “The art is so cute, and it’s a bit refreshing to see the characters when they’re not facing certain death.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled and agreed with Amity. “I know, and we get more in-depth looks at each character too. Not to mention some of the expressions are hilarious!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled, knowing what Luz was talking about. “Yeah they are pretty goofy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda called to Amity saying her drink was ready and Amity excused herself, quickly grabbing her drink from the pick up counter and returning to her seat. Then she slid a new cup of hot chocolate across the table to Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I, uh, bought you another hot chocolate,” Amity said, blushing a little. “I know it’s your favorite.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed, not really touched by the gesture but she did appreciate it. “Amity, thanks, but you know gift giving isn’t really the goal here.” She took the new cup and took a sip since her old one was already empty. Then she set it down and pointed out, “You don’t need to spend a ton of money on me to be my friend.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed, frowning and looking down at her own hot drink. “Sorry. It’s something I picked up from my parents, I guess. They always try to make things up to me by giving me expensive things. I thought that might work with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Make things up?” Luz frowned at that, not sure what Amity meant by it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity got flustered and waved her hands quickly. “No, it’s nothing you need to worry about! It’s just a thing they do you know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right…” Luz didn’t really believe her but didn’t want to push Amity in case it was a touchy subject. “I’m just saying now I feel like I need to return the favor by buying you something, but I don’t have the kind of money your parents have.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now that had definitely not occurred to Amity. “Sorry…” she said again for what felt like the millionth time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re trying, though, and I do appreciate that,” Luz said in an attempt to lift her spirits. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity gave Luz a small smile and said, “You really don’t have to give me anything in return.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean I probably will at this point, now that we’re friends,” said Luz, returning the smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we’re definitely friends then?” Amity asked, her heart beating a little faster at those words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’re friends,” said Luz, meaning it. “Just don’t expect my gift to be anything fancy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head, “Of course not, I’d like anything you give me Luz.” Then she wondered if that sounded too weird, but Luz didn’t seem to think so. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>They fell into an awkward silence, each girl trying to think of something else to talk about. Then Luz finally spoke up, “So uh... what do you usually do during the summer time? When you’re not busy tormenting people that is.” Luz meant it as a joke but Amity seemed to take offense to that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t tormented anyone in a while, Luz. I’m not like that anymore,” said Amity, her voice thick with hurt. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Now Luz felt guilty for accusing Amity of continuing to bully people. Truth was, during the last few weeks of school, Luz hadn’t seen Amity bothering anyone else. She wasn’t sure if that was because Amity was trying to hide it from her or because she really had stopped that behavior. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Amity, I shouldn’t have assumed…” Luz apologized. “That was rude of me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Estúpida,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed and added, “I guess we’re both figuring out this friendship thing, huh?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity offered a half smile at that and they both chuckled nervously. Then Amity spoke, “But to answer your question, I’ve just been hanging out at the mall and spending as much time out of my house as possible.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Luz tilted her head at that. “Do you not like it at your house?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity glanced down at her drink, trying to decide how she should answer Luz. “Well, my parents aren’t the best,” she answered finally. “And my siblings also tend to spend their time out of the house too, it’s just honestly better when I’m not around mom or dad.” </span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz thought back to the statement Amity had made about the gift-giving and her brows furrowed in worry. “Um...no pressure, but do you want to talk about it?” Luz asked gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” said Amity, taking a drink and sighing at the hot liquid warming up her insides. “Thanks for asking though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course…” Luz tried to think of something else to change the subject. Then she said, “Well next week I’m going camping with my moms for a few days. That reminds me, I won’t be able to text you during that time as they’re strictly technology free when we go camping.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“That sounds...nice,” said Amity truthfully. “I wish my parents would take us camping.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever been camping before?” Luz asked, curious now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A few times, but only with my siblings” Amity admitted. “My parents prefer to live in a ‘sophisticated’ lifestyle as they like to call it. Camping is beneath them.” Amity tried to hide the bitterness in her voice as she spoke. “I haven’t been camping in a few years though since my parents found out I almost drowned in a lake on one trip,” she explained. “My brother and sister were playing a prank on me and didn’t expect it to go so wrong.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oof, did you at least have a life jacket?” Luz asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I was six and stupidly believed my siblings when they said there was a buried treasure in the middle of the lake,” Amity’s face reddened in embarrassment when she recalled this experience. “Neither one of them actually expected me to try to go swimming by myself.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave Luz an abashed smile and asked, “Please don’t tell anyone about this? It’s pretty embarrassing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and said, “Well you haven’t told anyone I’m bisexual, so it’s only fair that I don’t tell anyone about your most embarrassing moment.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heh,” Amity was glad to hear that. “I’d ask what yours is but I feel like I already know.” Her words hung in the air before they hit Amity and she mentally kicked herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Real smooth Blight, sent things right back to being awkward. You’re doing a bang up job of talking to Luz today,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity thought to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly the tension was cut by loud laughter coming from Eda as she approached them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grinned at the both of them and said, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help listening in.” Then to Amity, “I heard you say you haven’t been camping in a while. You could come camping with us, if you’re up for it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was touched by the offer but she shook her head, “Thank you Ms. Noceda but I couldn’t intrude on your camping trip. Besides, my parents don’t want me going camping again.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Yeah, I heard that part too,” said Eda with a nod. “They sound like a piece of work. You could cover it up couldn’t you? Tell them you’re staying a few nights at a friend’s house.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s mouth gaped wide open at Eda. She hadn’t expected this level of deviousness from the woman. “I-I could but…” she looked at Luz. “Would you be okay with that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was hesitant. Sure she and Amity were getting along way better now, but Luz loved her camping trips with her moms. It was one of her favorite parts of summer since it meant quality time with them. Then she thought about how Amity hadn’t been camping in forever and how she missed camping. Maybe just this once, it wouldn’t hurt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Luz said finally. “Why not?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s eyes widened as she couldn’t believe Luz was actually agreeing to let her go along with them on a camping trip. It would be a great opportunity to get away from her parents for an extended period of time, and Amity knew Boscha and Skara could definitely cover for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she whispered, trying not to look so stunned. She didn’t want to weird them out and have them change their minds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s decided then, I’ll text Camilia,” said Eda. “Luz, fill her in on what she should bring if she hasn’t been camping in a while.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<span>Luz nodded as Eda started texting on her phone while walking back to the registers. Then she looked back at Amity and thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Esto será divertido!</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>CAMPING TRIP ANYONE????</p><p>Translation: </p><p>Esto sera divertido- This will be fun!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Camping Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The adventure begins!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woo this chapter ended up being longer than I thought. The camping trip will probably be 3 chapters long. Also trigger warning for the start of a panic attack near the end. I'm sorry I was just writing and then my brain threw in some Amity angst and that happened. </p><p>Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Boscha and Skara were happy to cover for Amity when they heard about the camping trip. They agreed it would be better to say that they were going on a trip to the beach to avoid any confrontation between Amity’s parents and theirs. With that settled, Amity went about packing up for her trip with the Nocedas. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity had Boscha pick her up and drop her off at the Nocedas to keep up their ruse, and soon she was in the car with Luz and her moms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So where are we camping?” Amity asked once they were on the road. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Titan Woods, named for being one of the biggest patches of forest in the state, and the oldest,” Eda explained. “There’s a campground in there right by Lake Glandus, and that’s where we’re headed.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh, that’s where I went with my siblings!” Amity realized. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her curiously and wondered aloud, “Is that where you...you know, the lake incident?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s face went red and she ducked her head down. “Yes, thank you for bringing that up Luz,” she said a bit sourly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww you’re just a kid, it’s not that big of a deal,” Luz tried to reassure her. “Anyway, you know how to swim now don’t you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity did not lift her head up, rather remaining silent. Then Luz smiled and patted her friend on the back. “Don’t worry, we got life jackets for when we go canoeing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time Amity did peek up at Luz and smiled softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Es un área preciosa!” Camilia said enthusiastically. “We’ve been coming here since Luz was </span>
  <em>
    <span>pequeña</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz blushed at that and then Eda got a wicked idea. “Here, kid,” she said to Amity taking out Camilia’s phone. “Her mom’s got a bunch of pictures of them when they were a lot younger.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eda, no!” It was one thing for Amity to come join them on their camping trip, but Luz couldn’t bear for her to see old and possibly embarrassing photos.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed while Amity just smiled awkwardly. “Alright alright, I’ll spare ya this time,” Eda said, putting the phone back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed in relief and decided to change the subject to what they would do. The four of them chatted about that and various topics and about three hours later, they were out of the city and entering Titan’s Woods. Amity immediately took out her phone to start taking pictures, but Luz stopped her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not using our phones for pictures, or for anything,” Luz reminded her of the conversation they had the other day. “Remember, I said we wouldn’t be able to text? Eda brought a few digital cameras we can take pictures with. If we take pictures with our phones, we’ll be tempted to text and use the internet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, right,” Amity blushed and put her phone away. “So phones are emergencies only?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sí,” Camilia affirmed Amity’s question. “So try to keep them off during the trip, okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am,” Amity said dutifully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Eda leaned over and whispered something to Camilia and she spoke again, “Oh I forgot about that. We’ll make an </span>
  <em>
    <span>excepción</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but only so you can make updates with your friends.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Ms. Noceda,” Amity said gratefully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They soon pulled up to the campsite they were staying at. This campground was bigger than others so the campsites were a bit more spread out. Each campsite had their own picnic table and a fire pit and this one was no different. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here we are then,” Eda said as she looked for a spot to park the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once the car was parked, everyone piled out and got to work on setting up camp. They did the tents first, and Luz asked Amity if she remembered how to pitch a tent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah...I don’t. I was too little so my siblings always did it themselves,” Amity explained, feeling a little guilty for not knowing how to pitch a tent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey it’s fine! I can teach you,” Luz said brightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She showed Amity how to unfold the tent and had her hold each corner in place while Luz staked them to the ground. Then they worked together to get the tent standing, and soon they had a lovely dome shaped tent big enough to fit two people. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Buen trabajo</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity,” Luz said, walking around to give the girl a high five. “You just pitched your first tent!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity beamed at Luz and returned the high five. Then the two of them went back to the car to get their sleeping bags and suitcases. After they were done putting their stuff in their tent, they went to see if Eda and Camilia needed any help. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled at the two of them and said, “No worries, kids. There’s still a lot of daylight left, you two should go explore and have fun!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia nodded in agreement and said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Aseguraos de no alejaros demasiado,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I don’t want you to get lost!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We won’t, mamá,” Luz assured her. Then she grinned at Amity and exclaimed, “Come on! It’s adventure time!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled at the nerd’s enthusiasm and Luz started to lead her away. Then Camilia called after them, “No olvidéis vuestras botellas de agua!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, mamá!” Luz called back over her shoulder. Then she said to Amity, “Let’s double check our bags so mom doesn’t worry too much.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity thought that made sense so they ducked into their tent to grab their knapsacks. After confirming they had everything they needed for a walk, they set off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were far away enough from the campsite, Luz stopped and pulled a book out of her backpack. “Check it out Amity,” she showed the book to the green haired girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at the title which read “A Guide To Animal Tracks.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t it be cool if we found a bear? Or maybe a wolf!” Luz said excitedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed in exasperation. “Luz, those are wild animals and we really shouldn’t be trying to track them down,” Amity tried to let Luz down gently. “How about we try to find a cave to explore instead? That might be safer,” she tried an alternative idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm...well alright, but can we at least try to find any animal tracks at least? Please?” Luz pleaded, looking hopeful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled and said, “We can definitely keep an eye out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yay!” Luz cried out with childlike glee. “Let’s go!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled again at Luz’s enthusiasm. She acted like a kid sometimes, and Amity realized this was a chance for her to act like one too. Back in the city she always had to act like a mature, responsible adult, even though she was only 17. Out here though? She could be anyone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was already dashing off and Amity had to run to keep up with her. They found one of the campground’s hiking trails and decided to follow that for a little while. Luz tried to read the book while they walked and ended up tripping a lot of times, Amity only managing to catch her by the elbow each time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Luz, how about we put the book down and just look for anything that </span>
  <em>
    <span>might</span>
  </em>
  <span> look like a footprint, okay?” she suggested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heh,” Luz’s cheeks reddened and she knew Amity was right. “Yeah, sorry.” She tucked the book under her arm and continued on the trail, doing her best to focus on their surroundings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Amity got an idea. She discreetly stepped on a twig and let out a dramatic gasp, “Luz! Did you hear that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Luz looked at her in confusion. “Hear what?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Amity giggled and said, “Nevermind, I must have been hearing things.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz narrowed her eyes at Amity, “Are you playing tricks on me again?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, well yes, but not to be mean!” Amity said hurriedly, waving her hands. “Ugh, sorry. It’s just something Boscha would do and I thought it was one of those friend things.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Comprehension flashed over Luz’s face and she smiled, “I see. Well jokes are fine, as long as they don’t hurt anyone.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was relieved to hear that and Luz gestured for them to keep going. “I know I’ve been on this trail before, and there should be a sign pointing the way to a cave. You really want to explore a cave?” Luz asked as they walked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Amity said eagerly. She was feeling like a kid again and the sense of adventure was driving her forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Luz chuckled and they went down the trail until they came to a sign pointing down a side path that surely led to a cave. They took the path and soon reached the cave’s mouth. The entrance was a bit small, and it was hard to tell how deep it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hang on,” said Luz, removing her backpack and pulling out a long cord of rope. “Safety first, so we don’t get separated. Plus it could be slippery in there,” Luz explained, handing one end of the rope to Amity. “Tie that end around your waist.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity obliged and they both tied one end of the rope to their waists. Then Amity took out her flashlight and switched it on, eager to start exploring. Luz took out her own and both of them took their first step into the cave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They made slow careful movements as the ground started to slope a bit under them. The dripping of water echoed throughout the cave, giving it a spooky sort of feeling. Amity wasn’t too worried however. She figured if the camp had put a sign pointing out the cave, it meant the cave was safe to explore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At some point they heard the faint sound of squeaking and Luz stopped, almost making Amity bump into her back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s that?” Luz whispered, listening to the sound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rats?” Amity suggested. She didn’t want to find out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or they could be bats!” Luz whispered excitedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“True…” Amity thought she had a point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s coming from over here!” Luz shone a light on a narrow crevice on the cave wall and started towards it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luz, wait!” Amity hissed, worried for her friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, trust me,” Luz said, waving her hand. The crevice was wide enough for Luz to slip her body into, and Amity’s heart constricted with anxiety when the smaller girl started to wedge her way into it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly Luz stopped, and there was silence. Fear crept up over Amity and she stepped closer to the crevice. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Luz?” she whispered, trying not to sound scared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A moment later Luz carefully pushed herself out of the crevice and turned to Amity. “There’s a small cavern with a bunch of bats in there. Most of them are asleep I think, but they’re so cute!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A soft squeal escaped Luz’s lips and Amity’s fear immediately vanished. Then she asked, “Can I see?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Luz moved away from the crevice so Amity could get in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity kept her flashlight in front of her and tried to stick her upper body into the crevice. Suddenly a memory of a dark room flashed through her mind. This was a bad idea, Amity thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dark...tight...narrow...bad! Bad! Bad! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Panic started to rise in her chest and Amity struggled to keep breathing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Then she heard the squeaking again and shifted her arm between the crevice to point the light beam towards its source. She saw dozens of dark shapes huddled together on the ceiling of the cavern on the other side and tried not to scream. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly slipped out of the crevice, backing several steps away, heart pounding in her chest. She had completely forgotten about that memory, having it pushed it to the deepest recesses of her mind. Amity swallowed and realized Luz was staring at her, looking a little concerned.  </span>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Y-yep, there sure are a lot of them!” Amity confirmed, trying to hide her nerves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz figured Amity was just freaked out by there being so many bats so close to them and grinned at her. “Don’t worry Amity, they can’t fit through that crevice. We’ll be fine. We still had fun though, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity tried to relax, her heart still beating rapidly. “Yeah, we did. So where to now?” she asked, hoping Luz would decide to leave the cave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s head back to the campsite and tell my moms what we found!” Luz said, speaking in an excited whisper as to not alarm the sleeping bats on the other side of the cave wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was glad they’d be leaving and tried not to look too excited as they made their way back out of the cave.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translations: </p><p>Es un area preciosa- It’s a beautiful area!<br/>Pequeña- A little girl. <br/>Buen trabajo Amity- Good job Amity<br/>Aseguraos de no alejaros demasiado- Be sure not to wander too far<br/>No olvidéis vuestras botellas de agua- Don’t forget your water bottles!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Camping Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luz and Amity find the kid in themselves.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the slightly late update. I'm probably gonna only be posting once a day now so I don't burn out. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There were still a few hours before dusk, so Amity and Luz decided to go hang out at the lake. Camilia made sure both girls had sunscreen applied fully before they gathered their stuff for the lakeshore. Amity noticed Luz taking a medium sized duffle bag along with the bag that held their beach towels and asked her about it. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz grinned and winked at Amity. “You’ll see!” she said, wanting it to be a surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s interest was piqued and she didn’t ask anymore. She carried two fold up chairs and a large lunchbox that had snacks and such. They reached the lakeside and set up their stuff. It was relatively quiet and there was only one other family some ways away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, can you tell me what’s in the bag now?” Amity asked after they spread out their beach blankets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yup!” Luz went to the duffle bag in question and opened it up, pulling out two large water guns. “I thought we could have a water fight!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooh,” Amity took the plastic gun Luz handed her and examined it more closely. “I’ve uh...actually never played with these before?” she said, trying not to be too embarrassed. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Luz’s mouth dropped open and she gaped at her. “Whaaaaat?” Luz drew out the word in an exaggerated manner, gasping dramatically. “What even was your childhood, Amity? Every kid has played with these at least once!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not me,” Amity said a bit sadly. “My parents weren’t really crazy about me playing outside and getting dirty especially since they were worried about me ruining my clothes. They actually made me practice piano for the longest time until I finally got fed up and--nevermind, that’s not important right now,” Amity stopped herself before she told Luz too much. Right now they were here to have fun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh, well that’s lame and I’m sorry your parents have no sense of fun,” said Luz. “Using one of these is easy though! Come to the water, I’ll show you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity followed Luz down to the water’s edge and watched her uncap part of her own water gun and fill it up with lake water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So first fill it up, and then…” Luz made sure the cap was on tight before aiming her water gun towards the lake and pumping the gun, making a long stream of water shoot out and land in the lake. “Tada!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity copied what Luz did and the nerdy girl gave her a thumbs up. She fired the gun at the lake and squealed at the force of the pump. “You’re right, this is easy!” Amity said with a grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled at how excited Amity looked and was glad the rich girl wasn’t calling her childish for wanting to play with water guns. Then she said, “So we’ll play a few practice rounds where we just try to squirt each other with water. Then we’ll play some real rounds where if you get hit three times, you lose the round. Understand?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity grinned and nodded, “Yeah, I do. I’m gonna warn you though Luz, I’m very competitive.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz grinned right back and said, “Good. I’m not holding back then.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the games began. Amity was a quick learner so she got the hang of firing the water gun pretty quickly. Her competitive streak showed when she went all out on trying to hit Luz with the water gun. However, Luz had years of experience on her side and was able to dodge a lot of Amity’s shots. She did still get hit several times and so did Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity hadn’t had fun like this in a very long time. She really felt like a kid again and she was grateful to Eda for letting her come along on this trip. Amity would have to do something nice for Eda, but she wondered if the woman was the same about gift giving like Luz was. She’d have to do something different probably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Te tengo</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Luz suddenly popped into view, sending a stream of water right at Amity’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit, can’t get distracted!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity retaliated with a shot to Luz’s face but the girl quickly ducked. The battle raged on until the sun was halfway into the horizon. Unbeknownst to them, during the last 20 minutes of the fight, Eda and Camilia had been watching on in amusement. Camilia felt bad for interrupting their play but it was time to eat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mija! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hora de cenar</span>
  </em>
  <span>, girls!” Camilia called out to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz had just emptied out her water gun when she heard her mother. Amity was looking at her curiously, not sure what her mother had said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, she said time for dinner,” Luz explained. She finally noticed how late it was and how dark the sky had gotten. “Wow Amity, you lasted a long time for your first time playing!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled proudly, puffing her chest out. “I can still keep going!” Amity said confidently, raising her water gun in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled and said, “I’m sure you can but maybe tomorrow. It’s getting pretty dark. Besides, aren’t you hungry?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was about to say no when her stomach growled, betraying her. She scowled and lowered the water gun. “I guess I am,” Amity said, defeated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Girls!” Camilia’s voice was a bit louder and a lot more firm this time. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Amity and Luz quickly ran over to where Camilia and Eda were standing next to their stuff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Having fun, are you?” Eda asked, grinning at the two of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded enthusiastically and said, “It was Amity’s first time playing with water guns!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice,” Eda gave Amity a warm smile. “You’re never too old for water guns.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I agree, Ms. Noceda,” Amity said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda shook her head and corrected her, “Eda is fine, kid. At this point you’re practically family.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you can call me Camilia if you’d like,” Camilia added gently. “Now let us go eat. You two should change into dry clothes first, however.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Amity and Luz thought this was a good idea. They gathered up their stuff and headed back to the campsite with Luz’s moms. Luz changed in the tent first and then Amity, and soon they joined the adults at the picnic table. Eda had just started a fire and Camilia was just finishing putting plates down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda had made cheeseburgers on the mini grill she had brought along with them. They were premade patties and only needed warming up, but still very delicious. After dinner Amity and Luz took on the job of cleaning up, since this was as much the adults’ vacation as it was theirs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By now it was pretty dark, some stars already visible in the night sky and the campsite was lit by the soft glow of the fire. Luz was excited since it was now time for her favourite part of camping. She went over to the paper bag by the cooler that held their non frozen food stuff and took out marshmallows, a box of graham crackers, and the most important ingredient of all: chocolate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity knew where this was going as Luz returned to the table with the items in her arms. Luz set them down and asked, “Okay surely you’ve roasted marshmallows before? Did your siblings do that with you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity laughed and gave her confirmation, “Yes they did, no worries there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was relieved that Amity hadn’t been completely deprived and handed a roasting stick to Amity. She put a couple of marshmallows on two other sticks and gave each one to her moms who were currently sitting by the fire in their fold up chairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda and Camilia continued to let the girls do all the work, save for the marshmallow roasting part. Eda observed Amity and Luz making s’mores, glad to see that her daughter had a new friend to bond with. Then she stole a glance at Camilia whose Marshmallow was just about burnt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Woah, babe, watch what you’re doing!” Eda reached over and gently took the stick from her girlfriend’s hand and replaced it with her own. “Take this one, it’s pretty much done. I don’t mind burnt marshmallows.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilia smiled gratefully at Eda and the two of them worked on their own s’mores. Luz noticed the fond look Eda was giving to her mom and wondered again when she was going to finally propose. Eda noticed her staring and winked at Luz, mouthing ‘Soon’ to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes widened and a surge of excitement shot through her body. She tried not to squeal right then and there and distracted herself by biting into her s’more. Unfortunately it was still too hot and Luz cried out as the half melted chocolate burned her tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“</span><em><span>¡Ay!</span></em> <em><span>¡Quema!</span></em><span>” she cried out, spitting out the offending bite and sticking her tongue out. </span></p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mierda, ¡me queme la lengua!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly used her paper towel to wipe off her mouth so she didn’t look gross in front of Amity. Amity giggled and gestured at her shirt as the small bite had landed on there. Luz turned away from Amity, embarrassed as she cleaned herself up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take your time, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mija</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Camilia told her daughter. “Are you okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sí, lo siento…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz murmured. She couldn’t believe she had just done that in front of Amity. Her tongue still felt like it was on fire, but she was still determined to finish her s’more, but found that she had dropped it in her panic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make you another one,” Amity assured Luz, and she quickly constructed a new s’more for her friend. “No worries!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was grateful and made sure to blow on this one before she ate it. She was glad Amity didn’t tease her anymore about what had just happened; Luz did plan to tell her about what Eda was possibly planning, because soon could very well mean tomorrow. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four of them continued to chat around the campfire until Eda decided she was too tired to stay awake any longer. So Camilia put the fire out and sent Amity and Luz to their tent for bed. The two girls did settle into their sleeping bags, but they were both still wide awake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amity!” Luz whispered excitedly to her friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Amity laid on her stomach, propped up on her elbows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think Eda’s probably going to propose to my mom tomorrow,” Luz explained. “We should probably let them be alone for most of the day.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Luz that’s so exciting!” Amity said in a hushed voice. “What should we do though?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz shrugged, folding her arms behind her head. “Go canoeing? There’s a boat rental by the lake. I can probably ask my moms for some money. We can also go hiking!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we go on a boat, you have to promise not to make fun of me for wearing a life jacket. I can’t swim, remember?” Amity reminded Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would never, Amity!” Luz said, affronted. “Besides, I’m still going to wear one since safety is important. Everyone has to wear a life jacket regardless of their swimming ability.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity thought that made sense. She was curious about the upcoming proposal though and asked, “How do you think they’re going to do it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably something quirky, just like Eda,” Luz said with a knowing smile. “Ahh I’m so excited! How am I supposed to go to sleep now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled and offered, “Well I did bring the fifth Azura book since I knew you were bringing your own copy. We could uh, do a mini book club session or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooh, good thinking!” Luz sat up and reached over to her bag, pulling out her copy. “Let’s do it!” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>So the two of them read Azura out loud to each other until they were too tired to focus on talking and just read in silence. A little after midnight, both girls were finally asleep. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translations: </p><p>Ay! Quema!- Ow! It burns! </p><p>Mierda, me queme la lengua!- Shit, I burned my tongue!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Camping Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The final day of camping!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the last camping chapter! Next chapter will be a small time skip. I think two or three more chapters will be good for this story so we can bring it to a close soon. I'm eager to get into the romantic sequel so there will probably be a total of 16 or 17 chapters? We'll find out! I hope you guys enjoy :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In the morning, after breakfast was had, Eda was thrilled to hear that Luz and Amity wanted to go fishing that day. It wasn’t just because Eda wanted to propose to Camilia, it was also because she had brought fishing rods and gear just for the occasion. They did still need to rent a boat though, so Camilia gave Luz the money and the two headed off to the lake together, fishing gear in hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the boat rental, the guy inside the small building seemed to recognize Luz when they went in. Amity looked around the room and observed a small store with fishing rods and bait on one side and the other side was the counter where Luz and the store owner were talking. She hung back awkwardly until Luz was done talking to the owner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amity, this is Perry, he owns the place,” Luz suddenly said, drawing Amity out of her thoughts. “Perry, this is my new friend Amity. She’s camping with us this time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man smiled kindly at Amity and said, “Well fishing is even better with company I think. Have you ever fished before?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head, “No sir.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well that’s alright! Luz can show you the ropes. I’ll warn you though, it’s very relaxing and catching fish can be slow, so you might fall asleep!” Perry told Amity. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled and said, “I’ll be careful!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perry offered to help carry the boat to the lakeshore, but Luz insisted that she and Amity could do it themselves. Amity was a bit doubtful but decided to just humor Luz. The two of them went out to the docks where nearby, there stood a few stacks of canoes and other small boats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz selected a dark green canoe that sat at the top of one, and Amity helped her nudge it off the top and barely managed to keep it from crashing to the ground. However, once it was on the ground, it was harder to lift. Luz strained to pick up one end and only succeeded in lifting it a few inches above the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, my weak nerd arms!” She cried in despair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity couldn’t help but snicker and roll her eyes. “You’re still an idiot,” she said, but with a warmer smile this time. “Let’s go accept Perry’s offer to help us.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity calling her an idiot didn’t sting Luz as much, but she did give Amity a mock glare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not like you could do any better,” Luz retorted, pointing out how Amity could barely lift the boat herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no hate in either girl’s words, and both knew that this was just friendly banter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perry was happy to help the two girls and he lifted one end of the boat with ease while Amity and Luz worked together to lift the other. The three of them carried it to the lakeshore and Perry helped them position it so about a fourth of the boat was still onshore. That way it wouldn’t float away while they were trying to get in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz went to get the fishing gear they had put down nearby and Amity went to help her. They carried the gear back to the boat and loaded it before putting on their life jackets. Finally it was time for them to set off on the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perry pushed them off shore and Amity and Luz started paddling their way towards the middle of the lake. It was a quiet, clear day, a perfect day for fishing. Once the boat was far enough away from shore, the girls stopped rowing and the oars were put to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how does this work?” Amity asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just do what I do,” Luz said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She got the bait bucket and placed it down between them before setting up her line. Amity copied Luz as they put bait on their hooks and then cast their lines into the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, the great waiting game!” Said Luz. “Get comfy, but not too comfy that you’re unprepared for a bite.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded, focusing all of her attention on her line. Luz chuckled, thinking it was cute how focused Amity was. She was glad the girl was so open to trying new things. A few months ago, Luz would have never guessed that Amity would go camping with her and her moms. But here she was, and they were friends!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was thinking something similar, except she was still aware of her underlying feelings for Luz. She came to the conclusion that she was content with this kinda friendship with Luz. It was honestly the best thing she could ask for, since Luz was her first friend that hadn’t been chosen by her parents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Speaking of...She pulled out her phone, not having checked it since early that morning. She had a few texts from Boscha and Skara and gave them updates on what was happening at camp without giving too much detail. Then she put the phone back in her pocket and looked over at Luz who was deeply focused on her own line, tongue sticking out of her mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Amity felt something pull on her line and she gasped, looking at the water in front of her. “Luz! I think I got something!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Reel it in then! Hold tight to your rod,” Luz urged her. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Rápido!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity gripped her fishing rod tightly with one hand while going to the lever with the other to reel it in. She started pulling in her line but whatever was on the other end was apparently quite strong. Luz set her own fishing pole down to help Amity, wrapping her hands around the other girl’s and helping her pull. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was splashing and something was clearly flailing under the water’s surface. Finally, Amity was able to pull it in and Luz reached over to try and grab the fish, with little success. The fish ultimately landed on the floor of the boat and was flopping around like mad. Luz quickly scooped it up and put it in their catch bucket, where it continued to flail itself to death. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did it, Amity! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pescaste uno!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz congratulated Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was very proud of herself and peered in the bucket to look at the fish. She still had no idea what kind it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hang on, Perry gave me a guide for the fish in the lake,” Luz said. She reached into her backpack and took out a small booklet; flipping through it, Luz found the fish she was looking for. “It’s a common freshwater bass,” Luz informed Amity. “Well done!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed uner Luz’s praise and said, “Do you think we’ll get any more than that? All that noise might have scared away other fish.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should if we’re patient!” said Luz with a confident look on her face. “Let’s keep going.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few hours later Luz managed to catch her own fish, and they decided to just spend the day relaxing on the boat and continue fishing. At one point in the afternoon, Luz noticed Amity getting a little red and got sunscreen out of her backpack. Then she saw an opportunity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Amity! You better put on sunscreen, </span>
  <em>
    <span>or…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>As she said the word ‘or,’ she picked up one of the oars with just one hand, trying to finish her joke but accidentally dropping the oar into the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mierda!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz swore under her breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity laughed, having caught onto the joke. She quickly grabbed the other oar and used it to nudge the waterborne oar back towards the boat. Luz scooped it back up and set it down carefully on the floor again, giving Amity an apologetic smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I was trying to make a pun!” Luz explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was still pretty funny!” Amity assured her. “But we should definitely put on more sunscreen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them reapplied sunscreen before turning their attention back to their rods. To their surprise, it seemed that while they were distracted by sunscreen, a fish had ended up tugging Luz’s rod into the water. Now the rod was a few yards away from the boat, floating uselessly on the lake’s surface. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oof…Probably should have reeled my line in,” Luz sighed. Then she glanced at Amity and added, “You can call me an idiot again. I deserve it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, that was an easy mistake anyone could make,” Amity said. “Let’s try to row the boat closer so we can grab it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and they both took up the oars, carefully maneuvering the boat closer to the stray fishing pole. Once they were close enough, Luz used her oar to drag the rod back towards the boat and took it back out of the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now it was about midafternoon and Amity felt herself getting hungry. “We should take a break anyway and eat some lunch,” she suggested, reeling her own line in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz agreed and the two of them set aside their fishing rods. Luz reached into her backpack and got out the sandwiches her mom had made for them. The two of them ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the natural scenery around them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Amity asked, “So do you think it’s happening yet?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was confused and tilted her head at Amity. “Think what’s happening?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The proposal,” Amity reminded Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh right!” Luz swallowed another bite of her sandwich and nodded. “Probably. I’m gonna ask how it went when we go back to the campsite.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well we’ll know it went well if one of them’s wearing a fancy new ring,” Amity pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled, knowing Amity was right. “Yeah, for sure!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kept fishing after they finished their sandwiches, but unfortunately no more fish came to their hooks. Now the sun was starting to descend closer and closer to the horizon. So they finally decided to head back to shore. Perry was outside working when he noticed Amity and Luz returning to the docks and went to help them dock the boat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Catch anything good?” Perry asked them as the two girls got out of the boat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only a couple of fish,” Luz said. “Amity caught her first fish today!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity puffed out her chest proudly and presented the bucket to Perry. “It’s a common freshwater trout!” she exclaimed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well done, young lady,” Perry said to her. Then he took the bucket off of Amity’s hands and said, “Not many people get fish on their first day. I really am impressed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s chest swelled with pride and she preened under Perry’s praise. Luz and Amity packed up their stuff and Perry filled the bucket of the caught fish up with ice and handed it back to Amity. Amity looked at the bucket in confusion and then back to Perry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do we do with this?” Amity asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cook it, of course! You caught it, you should get to eat it!” Perry said, and Amity realized that should have been obvious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, my moms know how to prepare fish at camp,” Luz assured her before Amity could get lost in her head wondering how they would cook the fish. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh good,” Amity was relieved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them gave their goodbyes to Perry and headed back to their campsite. Upon their return, Eda gave them an impressed whistle at the sight of the fish bucket in Amity’s arms. Luz ran over to Eda and gave her a tight hug, beaming up at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, did you do it?” Luz asked her, voice low so Camilia wouldn’t hear. Thankfully her mother was talking to Amity and checking out the fish they caught. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did, it went just as I hoped,” said Eda with a proud grin. “Now I got a hankerin’ for some fish. How much did you catch?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough for four people!” Luz said, “We got two trouts in there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Amity was giving her congratulations to Camilia. “Congratulations Camilia, I’m so happy you guys are engaged now!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia blushed and showed off her ring to Amity. “Thank you very much, dear. You’ll also be happy to know that I’m inviting you to the wedding!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wh-what? Oh, I couldn’t-” Amity was cut off as Camilia waved her hands at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope, you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>la familia</span>
  </em>
  <span> now, you’re invited!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was touched, really, but she knew her parents would never let her go to a gay wedding. However she didn’t want to ruin everyones’ day so she kept this to herself. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m looking forward to it!” Amity lied, her heart hurting at the fact that she had to deceive the Nocedas. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilia let Amity help her clean the fish they caught and cook it for dinner. The trout was delicious, and Amity was overcome by a sense of melancholy. Her family would never be like this, so for the time being, Amity allowed herself to enjoy this feeling of family while she could. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amity goes to her first Pride!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa</p><p>I'm sorry this chapter took so long! It took me a while to think of something to write because I've been getting ideas for the sequel and I kept telling myself I needed to finish this first. And then I realized, It's SUMMER TIME and it's still JUNE which means PRIDE MONTH! So obviously I have to put a chapter in where they go to pride. </p><p>The next chapter might be the last chapter for this story because I realllllyyy wanna get into the sequel, but we'll see. THe rest of this note is going to be at the bottom to avoid spoilers for this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Amity got back home, her parents were thankfully none the wiser, though they did scold her for getting a slight sunburn. Edric and Emira of course interrogated her on the details and Amity willingly shared, just glad to still have the support of her siblings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A couple days after the camping trip, Amity thought back to the first night of camping when she and Luz had read Azura to each other and got an idea. She wrote a text to Luz:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Amity- Want to meet up this weekend and do another Azura book club meeting like we did at camp?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stared at her phone for a few minutes, hoping she’d get a response right away. When she didn’t, Amity tried to assure herself that Luz was probably just busy sketching or doing something with one of her moms. So Amity distracted herself by reading one of the Azura comics. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An hour later, her phone buzzed and Amity’s face lit up when she saw it was a response from Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luz- That sounds really fun but I’m going to Pride this weekend with my moms. Lo siento! (That’s sorry in Spanish)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity thought. Naturally, Luz’s moms would want to go to pride since they were clearly on the LGBTQ+ spectrum and Luz was bisexual. She sighed wistfully, wishing she was brave enough to go to something like that. Pride was a very public event though, and there would surely be cameras everywhere. What if her parents somehow saw one of those pictures and spotted Amity in the background?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okay, the likelihood of that happening was very small, but Amity was afraid to take the risk. With a sad smile, she wrote back to Luz, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Amity- Oh that’s alright, I understand. Hope you have fun! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luz- June is Pride month you know! Happy Pride month!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz had put a little rainbow flag emoji next to her text, which made Amity smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Amity- Happy Pride month, Luz.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Luz sent a text that surprised her, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luz- Do you want to come with us? Allies are welcome! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right. Luz didn’t know Amity was a lesbian and more than just an ally. She stared at her phone, her heart beating just a little faster. Luz was giving Amity a chance to go to her first ever pride. Boscha and Skara could easily cover for her again, and it was simpler because it was only for a weekend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Furthermore, Amity was aware of where the Pride festival usually took place and her parents had made an effort to pick a house that was as far away from that area as possible. The more Amity thought about it, the more she realized she wanted to go and could go safely without being seen by her parents or someone who knew her parents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity took a deep breath and exhaled. She could do this. She typed out her response to Luz and pressed send before she could change her mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Amity- I’d love to!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity had done it. Excitement bubbled up in her chest and she had to suppress a squeal of delight. A burst of energy surging through her body, Amity fell back on her bed and kicked her legs happily in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her first Pride! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a few minutes for Amity to calm herself down and she was grateful her bedroom door was closed. Then she sent a text to Boscha and Skara in their group chat. The two were happy to cover for Amity with the promise that Amity would tell all the details afterwards. All three girls understood that pictures were too risky and Amity would have to go in regular clothes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira and Edric were happy to help too, as it was easier for the twins to just drive Amity down to the area on Saturday morning. They waited in the small parking lot of a cafe located a block away from the festival zone where Amity was supposed to meet Luz and her moms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity hopped out of the car as soon as it was parked, but was disappointed to see that Luz hadn’t arrived yet. Her siblings got out as well and Emira chuckled as she went to put an arm around Amity’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Relax, Mittens, it’s not like you’re going on a date or something,” Emira teased her little sister. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s face turned a deep red and she glared at her older sister. “Shut up, I’m just excited okay? It’s my first ever Pride and I want to show my support for Luz.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edric leaned against the car and said, “You know, this is a safe place for you too Amity. No one here would bat an eye at you for being a lesbian.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity swallowed. She could display her sexuality here, that was true, but...she was desperate to find a reason why she couldn’t and said, “I’m just worried about pictures and you know being caught by our parents.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira’s arm tightened around Amity as she said, “You know mom and dad want nothing to do with the LGBTQ+ community. They’re not actively trying to find pictures that might have you in the background at events like this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and nodded. “Right, of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A familiar car pulled into the parking lot and Amity's worries instantly went away. “They’re here!” she cried as the blue honda pulled up a space away from the twins’ car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finally, we get to meet the famous Luz Noceda,” Edric said with an interested smile. </span>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Amity hoped they would behave and went over to Luz when she got out of the honda. She noticed the nerd was wearing bisexual pride colors and had the flag painted on each cheek. Amity wished she could have worn something more blatant but the best she could do was wear a pink plaid shirt to show her support for women loving women like herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh hey Amity! We didn’t keep you waiting long, did we?” Luz asked when Amity approached. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edric and Emira came up behind Amity and Emira said, “Not at all. Mittens wanted to make sure she was right on time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s ears heated up when Emira used her nickname in front of Luz and she gave her sister another glare. “Can you not call me that in front of Luz, please?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emira giggled as Amity ducked away from her arm and the twins turned their focus on Luz. “So you’re Luz? You’re cuter than I thought you’d be,” Emira said with a grin. “I’m Emira, and that’s Edric.” She gestured to her twin who gave Luz a wink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz found herself blushing as she noticed how ridiculously attractive the whole family appeared to be. Thankfully her moms were now coming to her side. Camilia had really gone all out, dressed in a rainbow headband and long rainbow colored stockings. She wore simple shorts that hugged her legs well and a t-shirt that had the word “Proud Mom” in a rainbow colored font. Eda was a little bit more put together, wearing a pink crop top and yellow trousers complete with a jean jacket that had a bunch of pride pins on one of the lapels. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amity! I’m glad you could make it!” Camilia said. Then she looked at the twins and smiled, “And who are these lovely young people?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, these are my siblings, Emira and Edric,” Amity introduced the twins. “Emira, Edric, this is Ms. Noceda and her fiance, Eda.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Soon to be Clawthorne-Noceda,” Eda said with a smile. “But you can just call me Eda.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“¡Qué maravilloso!” Camilia exclaimed. “Are you joining us for Pride?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, they were just dropping me off,” Amity quickly said before the twins could say anything. Edric pouted at her and Emira dramatically put a hand over her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ouch! Such harsh rejection, Mittens!” Emira said, acting wounded. “Edric, it seems we are not wanted!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edric easily joined in with his sister’s act, “Alas, dear sister. And we were so looking forward to bonding with our little sister’s new friend!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity rolled her eyes and said, “You two are supposed to be helping cover for me!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, yes, of course,” said Edric, waving his hand. “We’ll stay on the downlow, but we were going to check things out ourselves.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe we want to meet some other cuties at the festival,” Emira added with a sly smile. “You’re not the-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we should head over there now that you mention it!” Amity cut her older sister off. Emira realized she had been about to accidentally out Amity and gave her an apologetic look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry sis,” she said, putting a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Come on Edric, let’s go find some fun.” Emira waved at Amity before pulling Edric away from the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed in relief and turned back to Luz who was trying to hide her amusement. “Your siblings are fun,” Luz said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re annoying, that’s what they are,” Amity grumbled. “Let’s go already!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda chuckled, giving Amity a knowing smile. “Alright kiddo, it’s your first Pride. Stick with us so you don’t get lost in a sea of gays, ok?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity realized Eda was trying to calm her nerves and smiled gratefully. She followed Luz and her moms into the festival area which was a long street that was packed with people. There were booths all the way up and down the street and Luz informed Amity that further down was another street where a large parade would be happening at about Noon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was reserved at most, shyly smiling at people who waved in her direction but were probably really waving at Luz’s moms. Camilia and Eda seemed to know a lot of people too as they stopped several times to talk to various couples. Amity was trying not to get too overwhelmed by the crowd and she stayed close to Luz, using her as an anchor to avoid panic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz eventually picked up on Amity’s discomfort and asked her, “Hey, do you need a break?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Amity said without hesitation and Luz was relieved because she needed a break too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They went towards the park which was a lot less crowded and found a spot under a tree away from most people. Amity took a few minutes to breathe and Luz rested against the tree trunk, looking around at all the Pride goers. Amity decided to just sit down on the grass and Luz plopped down next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Amity said genuinely, smiling at Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, no problem. Crowds are overwhelming sometimes for me too,” Luz said offhandedly. “Are you having fun though?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am!” Amity replied. “Everyone’s so nice and supportive and...I feel like I can actually be myself here. I feel...free.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Luz asked, not really getting it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity chewed her lip for a moment, trying to work up the courage she needed. Why was this so hard for her? She was surrounded by her own kind of people and had Luz right in front of her, a girl who saw her as a friend even after Amity had bullied her for the better part of a year. Her hands started trembling as Amity thought of the possible consequences of telling Luz, her mind going to all the worst places at once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then a pair of soft hands covered hers and a voice drew Amity back out of her thoughts, “Amity? Hey, it’s okay. Talk to me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity met Luz’s eyes and felt calm spread throughout her body. “I’m a lesbian, Luz. I’ve known it for a long time too,” she finally said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A smile spread across Luz’s face and the nerdy girl immediately pulled Amity into a hug. “I’m so proud of you, Amity!” she said, taking the green haired girl by surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz had honestly been scared that Amity was about to tell her that she hated all of this and wanted nothing to do with her anymore. The girl had seemed more and more uncomfortable the longer they spent among the crowd and Luz was worried that it was more than just the crowd that was bothering Amity. But now she could see it was because Amity was tired of holding her true self in for so long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulled away and smiled at her former bully who had come so far in just a few months. “You are free, Amity. I’m happy you trust me enough to tell me that and I’m also proud of how much you’ve changed over the past few months.” She paused for a moment, thinking over the past school year. “The things you did were not okay but...I think I can forgive you, just a little bit. I see you’re a different person now Amity, and I’m also glad that we’re finally friends.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was tearing up, all of her feelings coming to the surface and pushing their way out. She was so relieved and she felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She couldn’t help it, she started crying tears of happiness. Luz pulled her into another hug and Amity hugged Luz tightly, seeing her worries were all for naught. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually the two girls pulled away and Amity wiped the tears off her face. Luz smiled softly and asked, “Do you feel better?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sniffed and nodded, smiling back. “Much better. But now I’m also feeling hungry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and said, “Come on, lets find my moms and we can get lunch before the parade starts.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity liked that idea and the two of them stood up, heading back into the crowd. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa AMITY IM SO PROUD OF YOUUUUU</p><p>And that closes Amity's redemption arc. I had Luz say a little bit because the things Amity did are still pretty bad and I'm not sure it's right to just have Luz forgive her completely. I had to refrain from having Amity confess her feelings too because this was such a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCH AN EVENT but no. I must restrain myself. Wait for the sequel! Because this fic is all about friendship!</p><p>Anyway I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Next chapter might be the final chapter but there might be one other chapter just to close things up, we'll see. </p><p>Also yes this does seem like a good chapter to be a final chapter BUT we still have the rest of summer to go and I really wanted to add in Amity reading to kids and- </p><p>Brain: Nat no you're spoiling them</p><p>Me: DAMMIT OKAY END OF A/N SEE YOU NEXT TIME!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Enter Lilith!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whoops kinda last minute. See you at the end of this chapter for more.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The rest of Pride went well. Amity came out to Luz’s moms and of course they were happy that she trusted them enough to share her sexuality with them. At the end of the day Amity said goodbye to the Nocedas and met up with Edric and Emira. The three of them headed home and Amity told them everything in the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she got home, there was a text from Luz asking her ,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luz- Azura book club on Monday? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity would have loved to do that but starting the first week of July, she was actually working at the local bookstore three days a week. She explained this to Luz in her response but also added, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Amity- We can do Tuesday though!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luz- Tuesday sounds great!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled, touched that Luz had remembered her request from earlier that week. Monday came and Amity set off for the library, already looking forward to it. Every summer she worked at the bookstore, and one of her favorite things to do was run story time which was only on Fridays. The other two days a week she spent just cleaning and reshelving books and helping customers find books and such. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This summer, there was apparently supposed to be a new manager working at Terrace Books; Amity had been informed of this when she called the store the week before to confirm she was still coming into work that summer. Amity wanted to make a good first impression so when she approached the doors of the bookstore, she took a peek at the dim reflection in the door looking back at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay Blight, you got this. You’re here every summer so you know what you’re doing. Once the manager sees that, you should have no problem getting along, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity told herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a determined smile, she opened the door and walked inside. She had to wait for one of the assistant managers, Kikimora, to come let her in. Kikimora told her the new manager was in her office and Amity took note of the last name given, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clawthorne</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That sounded strangely familiar, but Amity pushed that to the back of her mind and headed towards the employee’s only rooms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She reached the office and knocked lightly on the door. A female voice called allowing her entry, and Amity went inside. A raven haired woman smiled at her from the manager’s desk and stood up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning. Kikimora informed me that a student employee would be returning to work this summer. I presume that’s you?” the woman asked Amity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am,” Amity said with a polite smile. “My name is Amity Blight. A pleasure to meet you!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She held out a hand and the woman accepted it. Once their hands broke apart the woman introduced herself, “My name is Lilith Clawthorne, you may address me as Ms. Clawthorne.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at some papers which were sitting on her desk and then back to Amity and continued, “I know you’re here for your shift but I’d like to spend some time getting to know my employees. Do you mind if we just talk for a few minutes?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, not at all!” Amity said, and Lilith gestured for her to take a seat in the chair on the other side of the desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them sat down and Lilith just asked her simple questions about where she was going to school, what she was studying, and what her interests and skills were. Amity answered her questions the best she could, as it was pretty standard stuff. In return, Lilith shared some things about herself like how she had moved here to be a little closer to her sister as they had not seen each other in years, she also told Amity that she was tired of working in big chain bookstores and wanted to support smaller, local ones. Amity loved that ideology and had a feeling that she was going to get along well with this new manager. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually Amity had to get started on her shift and she put in her very best effort that day to impress Lilith. The older woman was impressed by how hard this student worked and was glad to see that this local bookstore was being well taken care of. Amity had an hour long break at noon and she decided to go visit the Owl House Cafe, which according to her phone, was just a block away from the bookstore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cafe’s doorbell dinged as Amity entered and she smiled when she saw Eda at the registers. She walked over and the older woman gave Amity a broad smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, kiddo. Luz told me you were working at the bookstore today?” Eda asked, a little confused as to why Amity was here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity affirmed this and said, “Yes but I’m on my lunch break now. I thought I’d come here for a sandwich and some coffee.” With that, Eda went ahead and took her order before continuing the conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how’s the bookstore then? You like working there?” Eda asked while getting to work on preparing Amity’s coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love working there!” Amity was proud to say it. “We have a new manager this summer, apparently. She seems very nice so far. Her name’s Lilith Clawthorne.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an audible gasp and Eda dropped the cup that held hot water for Amity’s coffee. Amity peered over the counter in alarm as Eda hurriedly tried to clean up the mess. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eda? Are you alright? Did I upset you?” Amity asked, concerned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda wiped a towel over the hot water before looking at Amity. “Not at all. It’s just, Lily happens to be my sister.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s jaw dropped open. So that was why the name had sounded so familiar, but she was surprised because Eda and Ms. Clawthorne looked nothing alike. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She did say she wanted to be closer to her sister when we were talking before my shift this morning,” Amity said as Eda finished cleaning up and resumed making her coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah she called me yesterday saying she was back in town. I just didn’t realize she’d be that close by!” Eda clarified. “Hey do me a favor and don’t tell Luz, okay? I want it to be a surprise for her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled and nodded, “I won’t say a word, promise!” Then she remembered that she and Luz were going to have their Azura book club tomorrow and mentioned it to Eda. “Luz and I were going to have our book club and I was thinking we’d do it at the bookstore, is that alright? Or would you rather us have it here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda finished making Amity’s coffee and handed it to her. She yelled at somebody in the back to hurry up on the sandwich before turning back to Amity. “Have your club meeting here, I want to see the surprise on Luz’s face when Lily walks in.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity grinned and agreed that it was a good idea. She soon got her sandwich as well and hung out at one of the tables while she ate. She sent a text to Luz informing her that they should have the book club meeting at the Owl House and Luz readily agreed. When Amity returned to work, she decided not to say anything to Ms. Clawthorne as she wanted to surprise her as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day, Eda took Luz with her to work.  Amity got to the cafe at around 11am and the two of them got started on their first official Azura Book Club session (that night at camp didn’t count as it was impromptu and short). Around lunchtime, Eda called her sister Lily, inviting her to come to the cafe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Eda got word that Lilith was approaching the cafe, she walked over to Amity and Luz’s table, distracting them with questions about what they wanted for lunch. Soon the door’s bell dinged again, signalling the entrance of a new customer. Luz glanced up curiously to see who it was and her eyes widened when she recognized her aunt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aunt Lily!” she cried, springing up from the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rushed over to Lilith and gave her a big hug. The taller woman smiled and returned the hug; patting Luz on the head, she looked up to see Eda and Amity both smiling at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity gave Lilith a wave and said, “Surprise!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz looked between Amity and Lilith and then back to Amity and asked, “You know her?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity confirmed this, “Yep. She’s my manager at work.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oooh!” Luz’s eyes widened and she did a little dance, bringing chuckles all around. “This is so great. Aunt Lily, did you know Amity’s a big fan of the Azura books too? We actually just had our first Azura book club meeting today! Technically we had one when we went camping last week but this one is more official since we actually planned it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda walked over and put a hand on Luz’s shoulder, calming the rambling girl. “Slow down, Luz. You got plenty of time to talk to Aunt Lily, alright?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. “Heh, sorry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda ruffled Luz’s hair and hoped her daughter would never lose her youthfulness. Then she looked at her sister and raised a ringed hand, wiggling her fingers. Lilith gasped excitedly and gave her sister a big, proud smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You and Camilia are finally engaged?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We sure are!” Eda reaffirmed, and the two sisters joined in a tight hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity shifted awkwardly, feeling like she was intruding on this family reunion. She got to her feet and said, “I should probably let you guys catch up. I don’t want to intrude.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz pouted at Amity’s words and went over to her friend, spontaneously grabbing the girl’s hands. “No, please stay!” she pleaded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed slightly at how warm Luz’s hands were around hers and gently pulled them away. “Luz, you should catch up with your aunt. Besides, she’s my boss, and I’m not sure listening in on a family reunion would be a good impression.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith heard this and smiled at Amity. “Actually Ms. Blight, since you’re a friend of Luz’s, you’re welcome to stay. I don’t mind at all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded and said, “Besides, you should hear some of the stories Lily and I have to tell about when we were your age!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To show how serious she was, Eda went ahead and pulled two other chairs from another table; she set them next to Amity and Luz’s table and sat down in one. “Sit back down, we got a lot to talk about!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz and Lilith both smiled and joined Eda at the table. Amity was still a little hesitant, but Luz pointedly patted the seat next to hers. Amity finally relented and took a seat next to Luz, and once the group started talking, she began to feel more relaxed. Once again she was reminded of how great a family Luz had and thought sadly of her own. Edric and Emira were really the only ones she considered actual family, related by blood, even if they did tease her a lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity then remembered how Eda and Camilia had told her she was practically family back on their camping trip. Maybe she could consider them part of her actual family, even if they weren’t related by blood. Amity understood that if she wanted to keep them as family, then she would keep working hard to be a good friend to Luz. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WHEW! </p><p>Okay, a few things:</p><p>1. This is officially the final chapter of this story. I realllly wanted to put in Amity reading to kids but this chapter became too much of a good final chapter. So I'm going to put in an epilogue with the reading to kids thing and it will also have some other things to establish stuff for the sequel. </p><p>2. One redemption arc is enough for me. This is a Lumity fic, not a Lilith fic. So we're just going to say that Lilith's redemption thing either already happened or it never did because she never did something that bad and she's just a good aunt. Preferably I just want Lilith to be an awesome aunt and role model for Amity. </p><p>3. I am probably going to write a side fic for this series including little related oneshots detailing other things Luz and Amity do over the summer because a.) this fic is long enough and b.) I feel like I've got a strong story here. </p><p>4. ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE SEQUEL COZ I AM EXCITED FOR THE SEQUEL! Things that may happen include a wedding, the appearance of 1 Mattholomule, romance (duh), and maybe an appearance made by King!</p><p>ps. Thank you all so much for sticking with me and reading this story. I know there was no romance in this but I really wanted to establish an Amity redemption arc and a friendship between Luz and Amity. As always, thank you for reading and remember I love comments &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Epilogue</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And here it is, the final chapter of this story! I'm not sure when the first chapter of the sequel will come up but I promise I will post it sometime this week. Thank you all for reading!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>On Friday, Luz decided she wanted to surprise Amity at work. So she asked Eda to bring Luz to the cafe with her and Eda happily obliged. A little before 11am, Luz left the cafe and walked down the street to where Terrace Books was located and went inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t see Amity right away so Luz went and hung out around the comic books, in hopes of eventually spotting Amity. Soon, as Luz was coming closer to the children’s section, she heard Amity’s voice coming from there. Curious, she went in and peered around a bookcase. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In a small but open area, Amity sat in a chair reading a book to a group of young children and some parents who were sitting nearby. Luz’s heart melted when she heard Amity make inflections for different characters in the book she was reading. She wanted to keep listening, but didn’t want to interrupt. So Luz silently joined the group of children, and caught Amity’s eye. Amity smiled a little as she continued reading but had definitely noticed Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Amity was done with the book, Luz decided to clap and cheer for her friend. This caused Amity to blush deeply and give the nerdy girl a glare. Luz realized she may have been a bit too loud and quieted down, smiling sheepishly. Some of the other children giggled and one went up to Luz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi Miss, do you want to read with us?” the child asked her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh um…” Luz’s cheeks reddened as the child was looking at her so earnestly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why not?” came Amity’s voice, drawing Luz’s eyes away from the child. “We have one more book to read and I could use some help with voices.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes widened at that and she grinned. “Yeah, I’ll help!” She looked at the kid in front of her and winked, “Alright you got me. I am here to read with Miss Amity.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Luz stood up and grabbed a chair, Amity spoke to the children. “This is Miss Luz, everybody. She’s a good friend of mine, do you mind if she reads at us?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A chorus of nos and such came from the children and Luz smiled as she set her chair next to Amity. They started on a new book and Luz did her best to use a different voice for the character she was reading as. The children seemed to love it and after the book was done, some of the parents approached to thank Luz for joining in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To both Luz and Amity’s surprise, Lilith had listened in on the last story. She was standing near with a soft smile on her face. Once all the parents and children had dispersed, Lilith approached the two friends .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well it looks like you two had fun!” she commented. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Aunt Lily, sorry for uh butting in,” Luz apologized. “I can’t resist adorable tiny faces though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith laughed and gave Luz a knowing smile. “I saw that,” she said. Then an idea seemed to occur to Lilith as she said, “Why don’t you come every Friday for storytime? I’m sure the children would love it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Luz was surprised by this offer but she was happy about the prospect of spending more time with Amity. “Yeah, but only if Amity’s okay with that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity beamed at Luz and said, “I don’t mind at all!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wonderful. Also, Amity I have a proposition for you as well,” Lilith said, addressing Amity this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity’s ears perked up in interest and she looked curiously at her manager. “What’s that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you considered working during the school year? I know your final year of high school can be stressful, but it would be a wonderful opportunity for you to get more experience on your belt,” Lilith explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, um…” Amity sighed. Her parents of course would be elated to hear this and want her to work, but Amity was also worried about the workload she’d be given. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith seemed to pick up on this and said, “It would still be three days a week like you do during the summer. You’d only work four hours and after school, I would never ask you to come early in the morning before school.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity thought over this for a moment. There had been a small dream growing at the back of her mind for a while now, a dream of running her own bookstore like Terrace Books. If Amity took this job, it would be a good opportunity for her to experience working in a bookstore year round rather than just during the summer months. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity came to a decision and said, “I would love to, Ms. Clawthorne! Um, thank you for the offer. I know my parents will definitely support this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And they would, both of them being business majors after all. Luz was very excited for Amity and she pulled the green haired girl into a sudden hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Congratulations, Amity!” Luz cried, happy for her friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed at being wrapped in Luz’s arms and tried not to be too awkward as she returned the hug. Then Lilith spoke again, “Alright, and if your parents need to speak with me, I am happy to do so.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled, hoping this would please them and make them less...critical of her. “Thank you again. Um...I should probably get back to work though!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and said, “Yeah. I’ll head back to the cafe. I just wanted to drop by and say hi!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity was touched that Luz wanted to visit her and smiled warmly at her friend. “Thank you for the visit!” she said earnestly. “Tell Eda I said hi, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will do!” Luz promised with a grin. “I’ll text you later!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Text you later!” Amity repeated and Luz gave both her and Lilith a wave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith quirked an eyebrow at this interaction, noticing how blushy both girls were. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <span>How curious…</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought. </span>
</p>
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